lost dog tags finally get home....

[wrbones]

Lost Marine's tags get home

Two men's efforts retrieve ID tags of him and other dead servicemen from Vietnam flea markets.
?Associated Press

? St. Petersburg Times,
published July 4, 2001


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ORLANDO -- Lance Cpl. Allan George Decker made the ultimate sacrifice for his country in 1968, which is why two Orlando businessmen were sickened by the sight of his Marine identification tags for sale in a back-alley market in Ho Chi Minh City. Rob Stiff and Jim Gain were so shocked on their visit in January that they made another trip to Vietnam in May just to buy the tags and hundreds of others. Back in America, they set about trying to reunite soldiers and their families with the lost tags.

Today, Decker's ID tags will be given to his mother in an Independence Day ceremony at the cemetery in Orlando where he is buried.

"All I can think about is love," said Ruth Decker, who now lives in Punta Gorda. "Allan loved his country, he loved his God and he did what he thought was right."

The 33-year odyssey of the identification tags began Feb. 16, 1968, when Decker began his Vietnam tour as a machine-gunner with the 2nd Battalion, 27th Regiment of the 3rd Marine Division.

At some point during his six months in Vietnam, Decker lost his tags, made of stainless steel with stamped lettering, which listed such information as his name, military identification number and blood type. Servicemen usually wore the tags around their neck, but in the field many put them in their boots so they wouldn't jingle and make noise.

On Aug. 25, 1968, the 19-year-old Decker was killed in Quang Nam province. He was one of more than 58,000 Americans to die in Vietnam.

"Allan was killed on a Sunday, and we didn't receive the word until the following Thursday," said Ruth Decker, whose family was living in Orlando then. "My husband and I were just crushed.

"But the next day, we received a letter from his buddy, and they had made this agreement that if something happened to either one of them, they would tell the family," she continued. "He said that Allan believed in God very strongly, and He will take care of him. And that was my consolation right from the beginning."

More than three decades have passed since Decker's death. In that time, America left Vietnam in humiliation, then returned as a partner in trade.

Also during that span, Vietnamese field workers found in their rice paddies all sorts of military items: boots, helmets, badges, buttons, medals and dog tags.

Stiff and Gain weren't looking for war mementos when they first traveled to Vietnam. They wanted to check the commercial climate. Gain works for a warehousing and distribution company, PMG Worldwide, and Stiff owns Magic Makers, which manufactures magicians' supplies.

In a market not frequented by tourists, they found the ID tags.

"There they were, on a string," said Stiff, 27. "It was really eerie and we were disgusted."

They left them there, despite the gnawing feeling that they should have bought them and brought them home.

Back home in America, they couldn't escape the memory of the ID tags.

"People asked, "What if they're fake?' " Stiff said. "Well, our question was, "What if they're real?' "

In May they returned to Vietnam with the purpose of buying all the American ID tags they could. It took days to scour Ho Chi Minh City and the patience to sort through thousands of tags -- some printed in Vietnamese, others destroyed or illegible -- before coming home with about 640.

The total cost for the tags: $180. They sometimes paid less than 14 cents each.

Then the detective work began. Stiff and Gain put each tag in a plastic bag, transcribed what was printed on it the best they could, and compiled a data base of names and ID numbers.

Those names are listed on the Web site Stiff and Gain created for the project: www.founddogtags.com.

Stiff recalled: "One day, Jim comes into my office and says, "You won't believe this. We've got matches for the Wall.' "

Of the dog tags, a dozen matched names listed on the black granite Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington.

One of the first names they uncovered was Decker's, and his tie to Orlando.

But Stiff and Gain could only trace the family ties so far. They turned to Rep. Ric Keller, R-Orlando, for help, and through calls to the Defense Department, Ruth Decker was found in Punta Gorda.

On June 21, Stiff and Gain called Mrs. Decker at home and told her of their find. "She was so full of joy," Stiff said.

During today's ceremony, Stiff and Gain will present Lance Cpl. Decker's ID tags to his mother and other family members. Ruth Decker already had planned for a visit to Woodlawn Cemetery to lay flowers and flags on the graves of her son and husband, who died in 1988.

"I'm just overwhelmed with it all," said Ruth Decker, who also will celebrate her 76th birthday today. "I just think, "Wow, the way the Lord makes things work out.' "

"This is going to be a very special Fourth of July," Stiff said. "I'm truly learning what a patriot is. It's more than just fireworks."

[xgrunt]

in Nam is for the Viets to sell supposedly "found tags" to returning GI's so they can be returned. I've seen several articles on this and pixs of the tags in the shops. Just a word to the wise.One thing you can count on is that if the Viets see a chance to separate a GI from his money they will find a way to do it same-same 30 years ago.

[Boats]

Truth or not its amazing how this little tag has lasted this long in the hands of an enemy. I checked out the site given by wrbones and looked at the tag names. I didn't find my friends on any but who knows.

Maybe it will give closure so some and put this nightmare behind them.

[SuperScout]

this little scam has been going on for some time, always ensnaring some unsuspecting person into the myth of finding remains of long lost ones. For example, the dog tags of one man have been "found" no less than 5 times. Kindly warn any potential do-gooders that they need to direct their efforts elsewhere.

[MARINEVET]

a very profitable (not to mention CAPITALISTIC) venture in Vietnam...spanning Mom&Pop Cottage Industry to so fairly heavy-duty manufacturing effort!!!

The Dinks actually have NEW ID Tags (Dog tags to some folks), our old "Addressograph" embossing machines...make the new tag and then "age" it to perfection...lookin' like the real thing...!

Wouldn't doubt that some Wannabe Scum Bags are in cahoots with these folks...but then...there are many who just see me as being pessamistic in this regard...me seeing ME, of course as merely being a realist!!! ;o)

Semper Fi to all,

[phuloi]

..And they`re more than likely using re-cycled Carlings Black Label cans in the manufacturing process.It`s a truly ugly scam that`s been around for a while.