POW bracelet explained

A POW bracelet (or POW/MIA bracelet) is a nickel-plated or copper commemorative bracelet engraved with the rank, name, and loss date of an American serviceman captured or missing during the Vietnam War.

The bracelets were first created in May 1970 by a California student group called Voices in Vital America (VIVA),^[1] with the intention that American prisoners of war in Vietnam not be forgotten.^[2] Those who wore the bracelets vowed to leave them on until the soldier named on the bracelet, or their remains, were returned to America.^[3] with the idea of returning the bracelet to the returning prisoner.^{[4] [5] [6]}

The bracelets, which cost 30 cents to produce, sold for $2.50 or $3.00 and increased VIVA's income to more than $7 million by 1973. Between 1970 and 1973, approximately 4 million bracelets were distributed. Politicians, entertainers, and models wore the bracelets.

See also

• POW/MIA flag
• Yellow ribbon

Further reading

• Hawley, Thomas M. The Remains of War: Bodies, Politics, and the Search for American Soldiers Unaccounted for in Southeast Asia. Durham: Duke University Press, 2005, p. 51.
• Hesse, Rayner W. Jewelrymaking Through History: An Encyclopedia. Westport, Conn: Greenwood Press, 200, p. 30.
• Holsinger, M. P. (1999). War and American popular culture: A historical encyclopedia. Westport, Conn: Greenwood Press, pp. 409–410.
• Wiest, A. A., Barbier, M., & Robins, G. (2010). America and the Vietnam War: Re-examining the culture and history of a generation. New York: Routledge, p. 181
• Appy, Christian G. Patriots: The Vietnam War Remembered from All Sides. Viking. 2003, pp. 489–492.

Notes and References

1. http://thewall-usa.com/bracelet.asp "History of the POW/MIA Bracelet" by Carol Bates Brown: The Vietnam Veterans Memorial
2. Allen, Michael J. Until the Last Man Comes Home. The University of North Carolina Press, 2009. Pages 57–59.
3. Morris, Bernadine. Bracelet That Stands for a Cause, The New York Times 17 June 1972.
4. Web site: POW Bracelets .
5. Web site: The Right Thing: The things we carry: A POW bracelet, a Medal of Honor recipient, and how the two came together . 8 November 2011 .
6. Web site: Fad bracelet becomes a friend. Krietemeyer. Janet J.. 1993-09-05. Tampa Bay Times. 2023-05-17.