Couple reunites Vietnam War veteran with his dog tags
Published: January 28, 2006
Louis Van Miller of Dinwiddie doesn’t remember exactly when or where he lost his dog tags in Vietnam, but he’ll always remember how he got them back.
Thanks to the efforts of an Illinois couple, Miller, who served with the 25th Infantry Division from 1969 to 1970, was reunited with his dog tags yesterday morning in a ceremony at Fort Lee.
“It’s kind of hard to speak at a time like this. After so many years I never expected to see anything like this,” said an emotional Miller as he accepted his dog tags from Martha Roskam. “It’s a privilege and I do thank you for giving them back.”
Swede and Martha Roskam were visiting Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, on a business trip in August 2001. While walking through the market, a basket of filled with the dog tags of American servicemen and women caught Martha’s eye. The 37 tags, bound on a plastic cord, were being sold as souvenirs.
“When I picked them up I had a profound sense of sadness because I knew each one of them had a story,” said Martha Roskam.
Roskam knew just how important the tags were because her husband Swede was a Korean War veteran, her brothers served in World War II and her father served in World War I.
The seemingly insignificant pieces of metal were a young soldier’s lifeline - their only form of identity and a part of who they are. They weren’t trinkets to be sold in a foreign marketplace.
With her husband’s encouragement, Martha Roskam bought the dog tags for just $20. The couple then made an oath to do everything they could to return the tags to their owner or their next of kin.
“Each one of those dog tags represents a soldier, a son or a daughter,” said Col. Gwen Bingham, garrison commander at Fort Lee, as she commended the couple’s service. “To the men and women to whom they belong and their families, they are priceless symbols of the soldier’s sacrifice for which we are all eternally grateful.”
Bingham said that in the Army, soldiers live by a set of principles called the Warrior Ethos. One of the four tenants of that creed states, “I will never leave a fallen comrade.”
“By buying these dog tags I believe the Roskams were saying they would never leave a fallen comrade behind,” Bingham said.
The Roskams enlisted the help of their youngest son, Peter, who is an Illinois state senator, to find the rightful owners of the dog tags they had purchased. Peter Roskam used his government contacts to uncover the identity and last known residence of the veterans and surviving families, and with the help of a private investigator the couple has reunited approximately 20 of the lost tags with servicemen and their families.
“They’re a symbol of time, a part of my life,” said Miller. “These dog tags represent two years, four months and six days of my life.”
Tears in his eyes, Miller said having his dog tags returned brought up memories of the good friends he lost while serving overseas, but it is quite possibly the best sign of gratitude he has ever gotten.
Bingham presented Miller and the Roskams with the Commander’s Coin for excellence in honor of their service on behalf of Maj. Gen. Mitchell H. Stevenson, commander of the U.S. Combined Arms Support Command and Fort Lee. Fittingly Stevenson’s coin is shaped like dog tag.
“They (dog tags) belong to these soldiers and their families,” said Swede Roskam. “There’s an extreme sense of satisfaction in returning these tags to the soldiers and their families and give them the recognition they didn’t receive when they came home. It opens old wounds, but gives them a sense of closure.”
The Roskams still have roughly 11 tags to return before their mission is complete. To find out more about their quest, visit their Web site at http://www.roskamdogtag.com
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