Re: MIA Bracelet "Hobo 27" *RETURNED*
Hey everyone. The Good Sgt and I have been humbled again. I just received an email from Col. Tatum's son. Here it is:
Dear Mr. Martin (sorry, I don't know your rank),
As the only son of Col. Lawrence Byron Tatum, I wish to thank you and your friend for locating and returning my father's MIA bracelet to my mother and sister. We are all very grateful that there are so many fine young men (such as yourself) and women in the armed services who are carrying on in the tradition of my father's generation and putting others before themselves. The fact that the two of you went through the time and effort to research and return the bracelet suggests to me that you are cut out of the same cloth.
In case you have some interest in more of the story, here's a brief synopsis: I was ten years old when my father's plane was shot down and he was placed on the MIA list. At first, because of the secretive nature of the DoD at the time, we were advised to tell no one that we were an MIA family. So we pretty much went through this hardship alone. Dad had simply "signed up for more missions." Eventually, the secrecy was relaxed and there was more public knowledge and support for our MIAs and POWs. So, at some point (I can't remember exactly what year), the support manifested itself in the form of MIA and POW bracelets. We went through a phase when our family members wore them and we saw them on the wrists of perfect strangers. It was genuinely heart-warming to see this at a time when the Vietnam War itself was extremely unpopular. This experience had a great impact on me and turned me towards a life of public service. I was fortunate enough to attend and graduate from Stanford University and pursue a long career in medicine. Part of my financial support for college came in the form of winning one of the rare scholarship grants from Scholarships for Children of American Military Personnel (S.C.A.M.P.). I mention this not to brag but to further emphasize that help and support sometimes comes from surprising places, when you least expect it. Your kind gesture falls very much into this theme and brings the story around full circle.
Sincerely,
E. Terry Tatum, M.D.
Bowling Green, KY
