A family in The Woodlands, Texas has been reunited with a special piece of jewelry that belonged to their American hero, Leslie H. Boerstler. Boerstler was a 1st Lieutenant during World War II, and the silver bracelet featured his name.
In 1945, Boerstler was engaged in combat operations against the Nazis in France when the bracelet went missing; however, thanks to KHOU’s report on Sunday, it has now been returned to its rightful owners.
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
During World War II, servicemen wore identification bracelets as part of their uniforms.
According to the L.H.N. Jewelry Company’s website, these ranged from bent metal bands to metal plates on thick chains with engravings including name, rank, and serial number.
In 2014, a bracelet belonging to Leslie was discovered in a French foxhole; after several years of work by historians, it was reunited with his relatives during a ceremony on Sunday with assistance from U.S. Army veteran Zachariah Fike.
Leslie’s daughter Joanne Boerstler Noack expressed great joy upon receiving the item which had been given as a wedding gift by her mother prior to him departing for Europe
Noack expressed her emotion during the ceremony, saying, “I’m just in awe of everything today. It’s amazing that people care so much to try to return items.” She had been planning to eventually hand down an item to her late daughter Leslie’s grandson before she died in 2011.
Reflecting on the bracelet, Noack commented, “It does look old here. The picture didn’t do it justice. His wrist wasn’t much bigger than mine.”
World War II is considered the deadliest and largest conflict in recorded history; it began when Nazi Germany invaded Poland in 1939.
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