She keeps it next to her bed in an antique jewelry tray with other mementos, a bracelet bearing the name of a U.S. soldier missing in Vietnam.
For 25 years, Carol Welcomb has imagined presenting it to Master Sgt. Rexford DeWispelaere upon his return to the United States. She won't get that chance but hopes his mother will gladly accept it."This is the longest commitment I've ever had," Welcomb said Wednesday. "This bracelet outlasted my marriage."
Welcomb read an Associated Press story that unraveled the mystery of DeWispelaere: His plane was shot down in Laos in November 1969. His remains were finally returned to the United States and buried Tuesday at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia.
"Reading that story and seeing how his mom felt just broke my heart," Welcomb said. "Well, he did come home in a way."
In 1970, when she was a high school student, Welcomb wrote to a veterans organization, which sent her the bracelet. She wore it every day for more than 10 years, even in the delivery room when her son Steven was born.
"When I originally had it, it was nice and smooth," she said, fingering the bracelet at her kitchen table. "The letters of his name were black. Now it's well worn."
Welcomb dialed the phone number for DeWispelaere's mother, Florence, on Wednesday to offer the bracelet but got no answer.
"I'll keep trying," she said. "I want to tell her I'm sorry for what happened. It's time for closure."