Written by the treasureguide for the exclusive use of treasurebeachesreport.blogspot.com.
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| James Rozo Bracelet Find |
Below is the email from Paul B. concerning the bracelet.
I found this memorial bracelet on April 30th on one of the Vero beaches. It was about 8 inches down next to the surf. These bracelets have names of POWs and MIAs. Haven’t been able to locate a web site for finding owners of these bracelets, and I don’t use social media. It’s a bracelet with the name James Rozo. It is of particular interest to me since his home town was Buffalo NY, and my son now resides there, and this soldier went missing and presumed captured after leaving his base camp, Lai Khe, Vietnam in June of 1970. This was my base camp 1967/68 with the 1st Infantry Division ( though I was seldom there).
I found this memorial bracelet on April 30th on one of the Vero beaches. It was about 8 inches down next to the surf. These bracelets have names of POWs and MIAs. Haven’t been able to locate a web site for finding owners of these bracelets, and I don’t use social media. It’s a bracelet with the name James Rozo. It is of particular interest to me since his home town was Buffalo NY, and my son now resides there, and this soldier went missing and presumed captured after leaving his base camp, Lai Khe, Vietnam in June of 1970. This was my base camp 1967/68 with the 1st Infantry Division ( though I was seldom there).
I will keep the bracelet if I cannot find the owner. James Rozo and all the others that gave all will be in my thoughts this memorial day.
Paul B
Wearing a bracelet bearing the name of a POW or MIA began in the 1970s. The person named was not someone that was necessarily personally known but the bracelet represented the hope that POWs and MIAs would someday return home. The bracelet was worn as a symbol of hope and honor.
To make it a little more personal, here is a bit of the bio of Sgt. Rozo.
SYNOPSIS: At about 1100 hours on June 23, 1970, SFC Joe P. Pederson, supply sergeant; SP4 James M. Rozo, armorer; and Pvt. Robert P. Phillips, unit supply specialists, all from the 595th Signal Company, left their base at the Lai Khe Signal site for the Phuoc Vinh Signal site in a GMC 2 1/2 ton vehicle on a supply mission. These men were updating clothing records, retrieving excess equipment, adjusting receipts and inventorying weapons of two outlying subunits of the 595th Signal Company. Before leaving the Lai Khe site, Sgt. Pederson was told by three separate individuals to go down to the "new Phuoc Vinh road", because the "cutoff to Ben Cat" was closed to traffic. The cutoff had been reported to be mined, and had a high probability of ambush. At 1530 hours on the same day, the truck used by SFC Pederson and the two enlisted men was discovered by ARVN and U.S. Mobile Assistance Team 33 elements in a ditch along provincial highway 7B in Binh Duong Province, South Vietnam. The truck's engine was still running. Initial reports indicated that the vehicle had no major damage other than a blown tire, and both front windshields shattered. Assorted signal equipment and supply records were found, but there was no sign of any of the personnel in the area. A search party found one dead Viet Cong and the three Americans' rifles jammed, and they surmised that the men had been ambushed and surrendered to the enemy. In September 1970, a Viet Cong was captured who said he was part of the ambush and he claimed that one of the men (Pederson) had been killed and buried near the location of the incident, but that the other two had been captured. The following day, the company commander of the 595th inspected the vehicle and found 12 small calibre bullet holes, the left front tire shattered, a small hole in the canvas top, and small metal objects in the cab. However, there were no indications of blood. Initially, the three men were listed Missing In Action while the government took 15 months to determine the validity of the Viet Cong's story. Then, in November 1971, a captured Viet Cong told interrogators he had seen two POWs being evacuated from South Vietnam into Cambodia. His description of the men fit Phillips and Rozo, whom he described as tired but healthy. Their status was quickly changed to POW. Pederson was maintained as Missing. In 1973, 591 American prisoners were returned home. Rozo, Phillips and Pederson were not among them. The Vietnamese deny any knowledge of the three. Follow up reports on these three men remain classified in 1989, although they have been officially declared "presumed dead". In October, 1985, Rozo's parents were informed that their son escaped prison in 1973 and was not recaptured. His whereabouts are unknown. Rozo's parents are understandably disturbed that it took the U.S. Government 12 years to tell them this, and wonder what additional information remains hidden from them under the blanket of "classified". They wonder if their son is one of the many said to be still alive in captivity in Southeast Asia.
Here is the link.
https://web.mail.comcast.net/service/home/~/?auth=co&loc=en_US&id=156281&part=3
We remember those that served and those that lost their lives.
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Warren D. sent these picture of a raft that washed up on a Treasure Coast beach. It was constructed using a lot of Styrofoam and an old car or truck engine.
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| Remains of Raft Found on Beach. |
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| Styrofoam From Found Raft. |
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Bonnie became a tropical storm and is going ashore at South Carolina.
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| Predicted Path of Bonnie Source: nhc.noaa.gov |
Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net
