A family in The Woodlands, Texas, has been reunited with a special piece of jewelry belonging to their own American hero.
The silver bracelet features the name Leslie H. Boerstler, who was a 1st Lieutenant during World War II, KHOU reported Sunday.
In 1945, Boerstler was involved in combat operations in France against the Nazis when the bracelet went missing.
An image shows the bracelet that belonged to the World War II hero:
A family in The Woodlands was reunited with a special bracelet on Sunday which was worn by one of their ancestors who fought in World War II. https://t.co/0IM6zkVHyJ
— WFAA (@wfaa) November 6, 2023
It is interesting to note that “During World War II, servicemen wore an identification bracelet as part of their uniform,” according to the L.H.N. Jewelry company’s website.
“They ranged from bent metal bands to metal plates on thick chains. Each were engraved with key elements of identification, including name, rank, and serial number,” the site reads.
In 2014, historians came upon Leslie’s bracelet in a French foxhole and worked for several years to get it back into the hands of his relatives who thought it was gone forever.
When U.S. Army veteran Zachariah Fike heard about the item, he assisted in the reunification that finally happened during a ceremony on Sunday, according to ABC 13.
Leslie’s daughter, Joanne Boerstler Noack, was overwhelmed with joy. She said, “My mother gave it to him as a wedding gift. They were married before he took off for Europe.”
Leslie died in 2011, therefore, Noack is planning to eventually hand the item down to her grandson.
“It does look old here. The picture didn’t do it justice,” Noack told ABC 13 while looking at the bracelet. She added, “His wrist wasn’t much bigger than mine.”
She became emotional during the ceremony, telling reporters, “I’m just in awe of everything today. It’s just amazing that people care that much to try to return things.”
World War II is considered the biggest and most deadly conflict in history that erupted when Nazi Germany invaded Poland in 1939, according to History.com.
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