A Vietnam veteran's watch and knife returned to the US

[matsky]

Hey guys,

I'm kinda new here so I'm hoping I'm posting this in the right place, and that you haven't seen this story posted elsewhere.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/breaking-news/os-vietnam-marine-found-winter-park-cemetery-20150801-story.html

In short, a U.S. Marine pilot, First Lieutenant John Brooks Sherman, Marine All Weather Fighter Squadron 235, Marine Attack Group 11, 1st Marine Air Wing, was shot down in his Vought F-8E "Crusader" over South Vietnam in March 1966. A local buried his body but kept his watch and knife. The Marine's body was repatriated to the US in 90s but the watch and knife were only turned over by the Vietnamese man in 2015.

It doesn't say it in the article, but I recognised that watch as a Zodiac Sea Wolf "Datographic" immediately - in very poor condition! I doubt even BWG, despite the good things I've heard, could bring that old girl back to life. It must have taken a beating in the crash, one of the lugs is twisted real good. I hate to imagine what that poor Marine went through. Amazing that the crystal is intact, but the hands seem to be gone - maybe disintegrated with rust?

It says it was turned over to the Hawaiian chapter of the Vietnam Veterans of America. I wonder what they did with it? (Edit: it's at Brown University, Rhode Island). I find it incredibly sad they could find no family to present it to 

Anyway, I found it very interesting! And now you know what a Sea Wolf looks like after a fighter jet crash and 50 years in South Vietnam's humidity.

[Ultra-Vintage]

Very cool history!  A good example of why I love vintage watches so much.

I could restore it, I have revived watches in worse condition 

[Butch]

Thanks for posting this!

[incountry]

Thanks for sharing that with us.  I only wish that the knife and Sea Wolf could tell us the rest of Lt. Sherman's story.