[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 147 (2001), Part 20]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 27963]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                           AMONG MY SOUVENIRS

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. SAM JOHNSON

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, December 19, 2001

  Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I submit the following article 
by Kay Blythe Tracy, Ph.D.:

       Americans now are inspired and united by every musical note 
     of ``God Bless America.'' But back in the sixties, we were a 
     nation in discord, singing many different tunes. Rodgers and 
     Hammerstein wrote songs of Camelot, while Pete Seeger asked, 
     ``Where have all the young men gone?''
       The story I'm going to tell you today is about what 
     happened to one of those young men. This story began in the 
     sixties, when POW/MIA bracelets were conceived as a way to 
     remember missing or captive American prisoners of war in 
     Southeast Asia. Traditionally, a POW/MIA bracelet is worn 
     until the man named on the bracelet is accounted for, whether 
     it be 30 days or 35 years.
       I bought my bracelet in 1970 for $2.50. It has, ``Lt. Col. 
     Samuel Johnson, April 16, 1966'' engraved on it. I wore the 
     bracelet faithfully for many years, but eventually took it 
     off and put it away. But every time I opened my jewelry box, 
     I saw it. And every time I saw it, I was saddened, and I 
     thought of Lt. Col. Johnson, and I said a little prayer.
       The bracelet led to my first foray into the wonderful world 
     of e-Bay, the on-line auction service, where I listed it for 
     sale. I thought that anyone who would buy it would treasure 
     it and it would be out of my sight, out of my mind. To my 
     surprise, bidding on the bracelet was brisk.
       On the seventh, and final, day of the auction, my husband 
     George asked me if I knew what had happened to Col. Johnson. 
     ``No,'' I replied. ``I never wanted to know.'' But George 
     went to the Internet, and returned with information. Of the 
     more than twenty-five hundred POWs, and the three to six 
     thousand MIAs, only 591 men returned. My brother did not. 
     After spending seven years as a prisoner of war, Sam Johnson 
     did.
       I was so happy I cried.
       When I contacted Congressman Johnson's office, his aide, 
     McCall Cameron, told me that he and Mrs. Johnson were on 
     vacation with their grandchildren.
       Grandchildren! More tears.
       Congressman Johnson said he would very much like to have 
     his bracelet. So, I cancelled the e-Bay auction, and today I 
     am returning this souvenir. In the words of Randy Sparks, ``A 
     million tomorrows will all pass away, ere I forget all the 
     joy that is mine today.''
       And in my own words, I say to Sam, finally, ``Welcome 
     home.''
       To Dr. Tracy, I say, ``Thank you. We will never forget. God 
     bless you.''

     

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