A Memorial Bracelet is Found, Travels Coast to Coast
Liz Maloney-Triplett stumbled upon a rare memorial bracelet on a beach on Cape Cod that donned the name SPC. John A. Pelham. Watch this unbelievable story of how she reconnected the bracelet with the Pelham Family covered by Portland's KATU.
SOUTHWEST PORTLAND, Ore. — Inside the Pelham family's Portland home is a space filled with treasured mementos. They call it the honor room in tribute of their son, John, who was killed while serving in Afghanistan in 2014. He was 22.
"We affectionately refer to John as the gift that just keeps giving," Wendall Pelham, John's father, told KATU News.
You see, every so often, even now, almost three years later, the family will still get a phone call, Facebook message or letter from those that knew John. Still, with that in mind, what happened last week was something else entirely.
It started with a phone call -- not to the Pelham house, but to KATU News.
On the other end? A woman named Liz Maloney-Triplett, calling from Massachusetts. She said during one of her walks on the beach in Cape Cod, she spotted something shiny on the shore -- a bracelet.
"I pick it up and I look at it and I saw a name engraved and I wiped off some of the sand and all of a sudden I notice a KIA (Killed in Action) on the corner of it, and honestly, it was just -- I got a tear to my eye," Maloney-Triplett recounted over the phone.
The name on the bracelet? Specialist John A. Pelham.
"This is the closest to a message in a bottle I've ever gotten, but in a weird way, I think it was John sending a message, 'Hey, come find me,'" Maloney-Triplett continued. "I've never met him, never heard of the name, honestly, you know, I just -- something said, 'Go to the beach.'"
One may wonder why the woman, on the other side of the country would call KATU first? Well, there's another part of the story.
A couple days before Maloney-Triplett found the KIA bracelet, KATU just happened to speak with John's dad, Wendall, as part of a Veterans Day story. So, when Maloney-Triplett went to search the name engraved on the bracelet, the Veterans Day story was one of the first to pop up. From there, we put the two in touch.
"When Liz called and started explaining what had happened, it didn't surprise me at her reaction because I feel that often, and I affectionately look up and go, 'Now, you're just showing off,'" Pelham said. "I believe John wanted that bracelet found. I believe he would like us to do everything we possibly can to recognize Liz for her listening, if you will."
This Thanksgiving, just off from the honor room, at the Pelham's Thanksgiving table, the family added a new treasured item -- the bracelet.
The family estimates there are about 30 of the bracelet's in the world. They are typically made, engraved with the soldier's name and information, and given to members of the fallen soldier's battalion. Though, the family says, the bracelet Maloney-Triplett found, is different in width, verbiage and font. The family's goal is to now find out who and where it came from.
"The loss of my son, will never go away, and it will never get easier, and I don't think it will ever get better, it just gets different," Pelham said. "The different part is so cool because so many amazing things happen."
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