THE WALL OF FACES

Good day, my name is Steven Kelly. CAPT. JOHN T. WEST was my second POW MIA bracelett as a little boy during the Vietnam war. My first POW MIA came home on one of the first planes to return our men to freedom. I was then given another POW MIA bracelett by my mother. I have had CAPT JOHN T WEST with me ever since.

I recently purchased a replacement bracelett from the Ohio Chapter of POW MIA back on 1 OCTOBER, 2012 and it has not left my writst since.

The reason for purchasing a new replacment is that my bracelett broke because of all the wear and tear it had to endure years ago. I wore him on my wrist and carried him in my heart as a little boy as I am doing once again as a grown man.

When I was a little boy I played little league baseball.The umpires used to make me take my POW MIA bracelett off before every single at bat.

Believe it or not this was quite commical, I would argue with the umpire every time about what it represented and I would refuse to take it off, the game would come to a screetching halt as the umpier and I would ague. I would point to the bracelett and say, 'Do you know what this is? Do you realize this man is a USAF pilot missing in action in the war in southeast Asia? I'm not taking it off and you can not make me, lets play baseball!'

The umpier at this point would tell me, 'Son either you take it off right now and put it in the dugout or I will be forced to eject you from the game!'

At this point I would take it off, give him a dirty look, take off the bracelett, give it to my coach at third base, return to the batters box, give the umpier another dirty look, crush the ball, turn and scowl at the umpier again and run up to first base or around the bases coming into score or the inning ending with me stranded on base I would then go get my glove, put the bracelett back on and go out on the field for our turn at defense...this happened every single time I went to bat!

The years went by and the bracelett is now gone or packed away deep in my fathers Navy foot locker.

I am now married with a wonderful wife and two amazing children. I am a stay at home dad which multiplies parenting a million times to the enth degree, I am truely blessed.

My fathers father was a Naval academy pilot killed while my grandmother was pregnant with my father. My father, like the son of CAPTAIN JOHN T WEST never got to meet his dad. Perhaps that is why I have such strong feelings for CAPT WEST.

Why all the background histroy on this post?

I am trying to share with everyone that reads this how much love, respect and kinship I have for a man I never met. I consider CAPTAIN JOHN T WEST as my mentor and hereo.

For the life of me I do not understand why his remains have not been foundidentified, there are exact coordinates of the downed craft available online, this make absolutly zero sense to me. In my own way I wear the bracelett as a remembrance to his sacrafice and to his hereoism he displayed while fighting for our country in the Vietmnam war.

Perhaps I should not be writting any of this in this manner at a memorial.

My children know who John is and they know what he looks like and the sacrifice he made for our great country.

Since replacing my bracelett my life has become so much richer. Everytime I look at the bracelett I am reminded about just how good I have it as do my children and John's ultimate sacrifice he made for all of us.

NEVER FORGET, ALWAYS REMEMBER

John, you are with me every single day, I try and fill my day up completly because you had so much more to give and experience yourself. In my own little way I am living another life for you. l look forward to meeting you in heaven and shaking your hand and telling you I love you.

I wore Capt. West's bracelet in the 70s and still have it. I chose it because my father's name was John West, and now my son is also John West. I will visit the wall in DC for the first time in a couple of weeks, and will seek out Capt. West's listing of honor.

I'm a cadet at AFROTC Det 105, Boulder, CO. I just recently had my bracelet made for Capt. West. I wear it everyday and everytime I see it, it is a great inspiration for me.

Like wearing the uniform, wearing the bracelet reminds me of what I want to do, what I'm going to do, and why I want to do it: Serve my Country.

Since selecting Capt. West from a list of POW/MIA from MD, to receiving my bracelet, and finally researching about his dissapearance, I've had a renewed, and much greater appreciation for what our POW/MIA have done for our Country.

My bracelet, with Capt. West's name, will always be a solemn reminder of our missing and great inspiration for me.

If I should die, and leave you here awhile, be not like others, sore undone, who keep long vigils by the silent dust, and weep...for MY sake, turn again to life, and smile...Nerving thy heart, and trembling hand to do something to comfort other hearts than thine...Complete these dear, unfinished tasks of mine...and I, perchance, may therein comfort you.

I have not forgotten you. I chair the Adoption Committee for The National League of Families of Prisoners of War and Missing in Action in Southeast Asia. We will always remember the 1,889 Americans still unaccounted for in Southeast Asia and the thousands of others that lost their lives. We will not stop our efforts until all of you are home where you belong.

We need to reach the next generation so that they will carry on when our generation is no longer able. To do so, we are attempting to locate photographs of all the missing. If you are reading this remembrance and have a photo and/or memory of this missing American that you would like to share for our project, please contact me at:

Candace Lokey
PO Box 206
Freeport, PA 16229
[email protected]

If you are not familiar with our organization, please visit our web site at :

www.pow-miafamilies.org