For forty years an Australian woman has worn, and treasured, a POW bracelet for one LCDR Gordon Paige, United States Navy.
Now she wants to give it back.
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Targets of Opportunityblog advertising is good for you Credo"Sign on, young man, and sail with me. The stature of our homeland is no more than the measure of ourselves. Our job is to keep her free. Our will is to keep the torch of freedom burning for all. To this solemn purpose we call on the young, the brave, the strong, and the free. Heed my call, Come to the sea. Come Sail with me." -- John Paul Jones "Pardon him, Theodotus; he is a barbarian, and thinks that the customs of his tribe and island are the laws of nature" --George Bernard Shaw, "Caesar and Cleopatra" "And those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music."--Friedrich Nietzsche "A kind Providence has placed in our breasts a hatred of the unjust and cruel, in order that we may preserve ourselves from cruelty and injustice. They who bear cruelty, are accomplices in it. The pretended gentleness which excludes that charitable rancour, produces an indifference which is half an approbation. They never will love where they ought to love, who do not hate where they ought to hate."--Edmund Burke “You say that it is your custom to burn widows. Very well. We also have a custom: when men burn a woman alive, we tie a rope around their necks and we hang them. Build your funeral pyre; beside it, my carpenters will build a gallows. You may follow your custom. And then we will follow ours.”--General Sir Charles Napier "Μολὼν λαβέ" -- Leonidas "Blogito Ergo Sum" -- Neptunus Lex Amazon AssociateFor the Effort!Winnar! Subscribe CategoriesPagesTagsacademy
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Great/moving story…sadly there are any number of bracelets out there just like this one that will never be returned… Best
I also still wear a POW/MIA Capt. Ariel Cross USMC 7-17-68 I posted his picture around our Plant here in San Diego on 7-17-2008 40 years later,still Missing. Lost out of Da Nang Flying the EF10B
I just read your post…I also wear/have the same bracelet….
wish there was more to know…
Philip–Ariel’s brother lives in San Diego. If you let me know how to reach you I will send him the information. I am one of Ariel’s sisters. Thanks for caring.
–Carol Cross Lowenthal
lowenthal@wowway.com
Carol, I also have a bracelet with Capt. Ariel Cross 7-17-68 engraved on it. I purchased it when my brother was in Vietnam and I wore it daily until the war was over, however, I have kept it in my jewelry box since then. At that time I was living in my home state of West Virginia.
I read an article in the Rochester, NY (where I live currently), Democrat and Chronicle newspaper (5/30/2010)about the POW/MIA bracelets and felt I needed to find his family to send the bracelet to them. After finding this website on-line, I noticed others have contacted you too.
Let me know if you would like to have this bracelet with your brother’s name and I will send it to you or to any other family member. If you would rather email me directly, please feel free to do so at csbooth@rochester.rr.com.
Lex … to someone who was young during the second World War, this story is both moving and fascinating, and a demonstration of the true marvels of the Internet. Back in the 1940s, families of missing soldiers could never have found out what happened to them, other than that they never came home, as my ‘ski trooper’ never did. I never learned where he was buried [in an American cemetery near Florence, Italy] until four years ago when searching the website of the 10th Mountain Division.
So, yes, the Internet can work miracles sometimes. And like most unregulated innovations, it can be used for evil as well as good. Still, it’s better off unregulated, except on a case by case basis by parents for their children. I just pray that the fell hand of the government never succeeds in regulating it. The results will lean much more toward evil than toward good. We no longer have a free and objective press. We *need* a free Internet.
Marianne
Lex … I hasten to add a P.S. to the above comment. I did not mean to imply that the military did not inform families of the death of their soldiers. As they do today, they did so then, and I was the one my soldier listed to be notified in case of his death. But details, like the location of the grave, the circumstances of death [he was awarded the Silver Star] were not as regularly available back then.
Marianne
I am now on my 3rd bracelet. That of L/Cpl Steven Henry Bennefield, USMC , 29 July 1967, SVN.
According to the excellent source “Vietnam Air Losses”, by Chris Hobson, LCDR Paige was both unlucky and lucky at the same time.
His RF-8G was first hit in the wing, and as he truned away from the fire, another round hit and fired his ejection seat. Just after he ejected the damaged right wing separated and the fuselage broke apart…Now, if that round hadn’t hit that ejection seat when it did..?
I’ve reached out to a couple of former POW friends of mine, and will let you know if I hear of any connections.
-JC
I wore the bracelet of LTjg Rod Knutson, VF84 RIO. One of the coolest things I ever got to do was to hand it to him in ’78. He went back to pilot training after his return, and later was XO of VF191 when it decomissioned. Went to 126 ax XO/CO and retired as a Captain, CO of NTC. He told me that while in the Hilton, they knew about the bracelets, and felt a connection to every one that wore them.
Scott/
I can only imagine the emotions that you experienced when you handed him the bracelet–would have made the hair on the back of my neck stand-up. The sort of thing that just the thought of it gets me emotional even today after all these years…
Scott: The wheel turns…Bandit was my 1st JO CO, getting his deep draft spurs on an amphib. We left LB full of new SWO fodder with 3-4 Qual’d OODs and 3-4 Qual’d CICWOs, all LTs. We returned, 6 mo. later, with the same watch rotation, no SWOs, etc. His chop on messages was a lefthanded check, written in red ink. Good during the day, at night, not so much….
Just in case you guys didn’t know. There is a new set of bracelets out now. Unfortunately, they’re all painted black and have a KIA date on them. I’m wearing one now.
Juvat,
Had one of those too. Son of a good friend. Gave it to his young widow when we dedicated the memorial for our dead from this conflict and she was there, a young captain herself.
This lovely woman may well get the happier ending to this story than many others. She may be able to return the bracelet to the individual it honors – directly.
What an amazing thing to be able to do. Scott, I can’t even begin to imagine what that must have felt like.
Captain Clifton Cushman, silver medallist in the 400 hurdles in the 1960 Olympics, married man and father of one son, native of North Dakota, and USAF F105 pilot shot down in North Vietnam on 9-25-66. I have his bracelet. I have it on my vanity, and I look at it every morning as I start my day.
He didn’t make it back.
Thanks for the story, Lex, and God bless all of you wearing the bracelets.
Might be worthy of an email to Sen McCain’s office in AZ. I’m sure they would be more than happy to help link the two.
I have a bracelet that I wore that bears the info
“Capt. Ariel Cross 7-17-68″
How do I find out any information about this man?
Thank You!
My father flew with Ariel Cross while serving in Nam. I grew up hearing of his bravery on a particular mission that my father faught to credit to Ariel long after he was gone. I have a fantastic photo of Ariel and all of my fathers notes, logs and recomendations from that mission. I take this info out from time to time to remember a young man that impacted my fathers life and whom he spoke so fondly of until his passing in ’06.
Jen Thompson
jcteod@yahoo.com
Yakima, WA
Lisa, I am the sister of Ariel Cross and will be glad to answer any questions you have. As you know, he was a reconnaissance pilot in Viet Nam who was missing during a mission. His remains have ever been found, but he was officially declared “presumed dead” ten years later. He had been promoted to major and was awarded several medals. Ariel was one of four children. Our father had died when Ariel was 4 years old, and our mother was a teacher/principal in the schools in Des Moines, IA where we lived before he enlisted.
Thank you for caring! –Carol Lowenthal
Lisa,
Just a quick google search turns up a few things. Then 1stLt Cross was a Marine aviator with VMJC-1, an electronic warfare squadron flying out of DaNang, on EF-10B’s, a modified version of the F3D-2 Navy Fighter. He and his Electronic warfare Officer, Capt. Lionel Parra were flying BuNo 125806 when lost over Vietnam on 19 July, 1968.
http://www.mcara.us/EF-10B_history.html
Hi Tim…I did do a google search but there were only 3 entries. I started 2 go further & the 1st one I clicked on had an inappropriate ad, so I clicked out of it B4 I got any further….the second was this site…I didnt go any further.
I appreciate the info! Thank you very much.
That is my birthday “July 19″ I was 11 years old when he went missing.
thnx again-Lisa
Lisa,
Your interest is admirable after so many years, and indeed warms my heart.
Unfortunately, Ariel L Cross, born 7 Jan. 1944 and from Des Moines Iowa died 17 July, 1968 as a result of enemy fire.
There are a number of websites that contain information on downed pilots and POW bracelets of the Vietnam War. While most are good, I support morally and financially the great individual volunteers here: http://www.pownetwork.org/
There you will find the information you seek especially if you contact them directly. Meanwhile, you are not alone. Here is an excerpt of another who carried Capt. Ariel Cross’s bracelet for 38 years. And God bless you all who did!
You will find the above quote, and many more heartwarming ones here.
Thank you for remembering for so many years. And may they all rest in peace for their supreme sacrifice.
I was cleaning out my closet today and came upon a box of things that are special to me inside was my bracelet with Capt. Ariel Cross 7-17-68 with a blue star. I have thought about him and his family often in my life never really knowing the final story. When I first received his name as a little girl I wasn’t satisfied with that, I needed more of a connection so that I could really pray for him and his family and let them know that I lived in California and I cared for them. I don’t remember exactly how, but I got his mothers address in Iowa and wrote to her. She was so sweet as she described Ariel, telling me more about her wonderful son and man he was, than the soldier. They both have a special place in my heart. Thank you to all the brave and selfless men and women that put themselves in harms way to protect our freedom our country and all of us who they’ll never know this side of heaven. I’m sad knowing that he never made it back, I always held onto a little bit of hope that he was alive and someday I could tell him he was special to me too. Thank you. Many blessings k
Jennifer–You had contacted us a couple of years ago, but we lost track of each other. I would love to have a copy (or the original?) of the photo you have of my brother Ariel, because we have so few of him. I know that you have gone to a great effort to bring recognition for your father and my brother on their missions together. Please keep in touch. –Carol Cross Lowenthal: lowenthal@wowway.com
None of us did that.
The first bracelets I saw was at the DIVARDY commander’s house in Fort Riley. Our dad went to Vietnam and came back to us as did the colonel. They were much younger then.
I think each of us saw it the same way and thanked others for caring enough to wear such a bracelet. For us though, it was too close to home.
I also got my bracelet a long long time ago. my brother went to Vietnm too, just the thought of it is scarey, I am so sorry about capt cross. my cousins lived in des moines so when i went to there one summer they gave me one too. I dont know anything about him, and can people still get these bracelets? my heart goes out to you and your family. thanks ….. kathleen green