THE WALL OF FACES

Often it's been said that nothing is ever really lost with our remembrance; so it is with this young pilot, William Elmo Powell,
who perished 08/17/1968.
Next year will score fifty years since William's departure from family, relatives, friends.
I too was a pilot in SEA. I never met William. I'm just one who happened to pass-by today.
Moments seem to always bloom more magnificently with treasured
thoughts as each season passes.
God Bless his family, relatives, friends, and love-ones.

I also have a Pow/Mia bracelet engraved with your name. I searched the newspaper / TV for your name when the men and women came home, but never saw it. We actually saw the soldier who was on my mothers bracelet walk off the plane. She removed her bracelet then. I still have yours and wear it to this day. I have to explain to the younger adults and children why I wear a bracelet with your name on it. I have visited the wall in Washington and have a etching of your name also. You gave the ultimate sacrifice and I thank you for that. Your in a much better place now, God Bless You and keep you close.

I was a young teen when I purchased your bracelet. My friends and I all watched to news closely, looking for the names of "our men". I was terribly sad when I never saw yours. I kept the bracelet for years in a memory box, in spite of it having broken; upon looking for it recently, I am unable to find it.
I thought of you often over the years. In 1997, a replica of The Wall came to Houston. There I found your name and grieved again for you. At that time I tried to locate more information about you, but the Internet was new, and I wasn't skilled at using it.
I am so glad to find this page and to hear your story. Thank you, thank you for your service and your sacrifice. You are not forgotten.

Elmo and I were crewed up at F 4 school at George Air Force base in 1967. We flew almost all our missions together. I liked him instantly. Even though I was a major and he a lieutenant we treated each other more as friends than anything else. He was a good pilot but because we were headed for combat, I as the front seater, hogged most of the flight time to get really sharp for what lay ahead. Upon Graduation from the program, we were both pleased that we were going to be assigned to the same base at Ubon, Thailand. Once at Ubon, we seldom flew together but did see each other often and remained close friends. I was crushed at his loss. Larry Steed 801 209 7383.

My family all decided to wear a Viet Nam military personnel name bracelets. YouI wore Captain Powell's. When the release came, I searched the papers daily for his name. All of the men whose names my family wore returned. Finally I contacted the bracelet organization asking about Captain Powell. They put me in touch with his family who wrote and told me what happened to him. They sent the newspaper write up with his photo. I cried and cried, my mom tried to comfort me but couldn't so we held each other and cried together. I still have the bracelet and letter and pull it out to look at it periodically and have now told my grandchildren about it. One of my grandchildren did his term in the Marine Corps. We are proud of him, and proud of Captain Powell. A replica of the Wall came to our town, and I took that same grandson as a little boy to see it. We found Captain Powell and I told my grandson why I was crying. Thank you Captain William Elmo Powell for your courage and service to our country.