POW Bracelets
date: label: date made
content: ca 1970
name: label: remembered on bracelet
content: Grubb, Newk
notes: label: Description
content: Physical Description
label: Description
content: Three bracelets.
label: Description
content: Specific History
label: Description
content: Worn to honor and increase awareness of POW/MIA soldiers. Traditionally, these bracelets were worn until the POW returned to the United States at which time the bracelet was presented to the former prisoner.
label: Description
content: General History
label: Description
content: The idea for POW bracelets originated in 1970. Carol Bates Brown and Kay Hunter were college students looking to support U.S. troops in Vietnam without being involved in the controversy of demonstrations and protests. Through their student group VIVA (Voices in Vital America), they were able to distribute millions of bracelets and other memorabilia nationwide.
label: Description
content: POWs in the Public Eye
label: Description
content: During the Vietnam War, American prisoners were a focus of public attention as never before.
label: Description
content: Over 4,000 Americans were captured during World War I; more than 130,000 were taken prisoner during World War II; 7,000-plus were held in Korea. The American public knew little of their plight. But Americans were painfully aware of the 726 who were prisoners of war in Vietnam. The North Vietnamese paraded them in a sophisticated propaganda campain to erode public support for the war. POW families launched awareness campaings, and the media gave the POW situation extensive coverage. At the war's end, 661 returned home. Some Americans believe that thousands more "missing in action" were left behind.
label: Description
content: 20th Century Prisoners of War
label: Description
content: World War I: 4,120 captured; 3,973 returned
label: Description
content: World War II: 130,201 captured; 116,129 returned
label: Description
content: Korea: 7,140 captured; 4,418 returned
label: Description
content: Vietnam: 726 captured; 661 returned
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: Associated Place
content: Vietnam
label: worn
content: United States
topic: label: Subject
content: POWs
label: related event
content: Vietnam War
label: related event
content: Postwar United States
setName: label: See more items in
content: Military and Society: Armed Forces History, Military
label: See more items in
content: Military
label: See more items in
content: ThinkFinity
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: 2004.0083.41
label: accession number
content: 2004.0083
label: catalog number
content: 2004.0083.41
objectType: label: Object Name
content: POW bracelet
label: Object Name
content: bracelet
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: metal (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 1/2 in x 3 in x 2 in; 1.27 cm x 7.62 cm x 5.08 cm