ID Bracelet returned after 55 years

[Jim Bob]

On August 20th 2009 while hunting an old swimming hole in Georgia with my Whites Beach Hunter ID I found an old ID bracelet about 12 inches deep in the sand in waist deep water. It was a mess when I found it in my scoop but after a little work with some silver polish the crud came off and revealed a name on the face and a service number on the back. There is an Air Forcebase in our area and I have some friends that are retired from the service so I took the bracelet to town to show it to them and ask for some help to see if we could find the owner. My friend named Norm took the lead and said he would try to find the owner named Don Hansley.
Norm hadn't had any luck finding Don when the wife and I loaded up to head to the Florida Keys for a 5 week camping trip, so I put the bracelet in a plastic bag with a few class rings I had found to show my camping buddies. This is the part that is hard to believe. On November 18th I got a call from home and Norm had found Don and gave me his number. At this time we were staying at Big Pine Key and Don was 45 miles away living in Islamorada. I called him and we were both so excited as we put together the pieces of when he lost the bracelet and how I found it. He lost it in 1954 when he was 22 years old and in his last year in the service. So it had been in the water for 55 years. What were the odds that he would move from Georgia to the Keys, over 500 miles from where he lost it, that I would be in the Keys on vacation and have the bracelet with me, and that Norm would locate him to set this all up?
Well, Don and his wife came to meet us at the campground on November 28th and the bracelet was returned. We sat and talked for over an hour and I showed them the pictures of the old swimming hole and the condition of the bracelet when I found it. This is the first time I have been able to return a personal item and the feeling is priceless. Don was all smiles as we said goodbye and we were just as happy as he was.

[Paulv]

Thats a really cool story. Congrats!

[Howey01]

Awesome story and a very happy ending. Howard

[Mikey]

A truly remarkable and inspiring story!Mikey

[majakldragon]

Excellent story and congrats to you for being a sterling example of TQ at its best.

[HOWDY]

very cool story, and congrats to you.

[Mikee5936]

Now thats a really cool story!

[myfantasia]

Amazing, like you said what are the odds.

[Glenn]

I would love to be able to do that for someone someday.

[Ric-san]

Awesome story...great ending... a huge thanks

Rick