I wore Willie’s bracelet for many years in my preteen and teen years. His mother was in a nursing home and we would correspond frequently and she always talked about her Willie except she would pronounce the W as a v so I knew she must have had an accent. After a time I stopped hearing from her and assumed that she had passed away. I was fortunate enough in 1997 to stop at the wall on my way home from Florida with my family there was a big book to look up your soldier’s name. I had hoped that it wasn’t going to be there and that somehow he had come home. But it was there when I went to the panel where his name was it was very far up almost at the top of the panel. Arranger that was nearby came over with a ladder went up and etched Willy’s name for me my display it proudly in my office in my home and I’m so grateful and thankful to him and all the other men and women who served this country to protect me.
I wore Willie’s bracelet for many years in my preteen and teen years. His mother was in a nursing home and we would correspond frequently and she always talked about her Willie except she would pronounce the W as a v so I knew she must have had an accent. After a time I stopped hearing from her and assumed that she had passed away. I was fortunate enough in 1997 to stop at the wall on my way home from Florida with my family there was a big book to look up your soldier’s name. I had hoped that it wasn’t going to be there and that somehow he had come home. But it was there when I went to the panel where his name was it was very far up almost at the top of the panel. Arranger that was nearby came over with a ladder went up and etched Willy’s name for me my display it proudly in my office in my home and I’m so grateful and thankful to him and all the other men and women who served this country to protect me.
Thank you for sharing your beautiful story!