POW Bracelet

My Grandma was out shopping who knows where, but the guy at the shop had a POW bracelet. It was the only one he had, and she bought it and gave it to me earlier today.

Now, if you don't know, POW (Prisoner of War) bracelets were popular in about the 60's-70's, and were made to represent someone who had gone MIA or been captured by the enemy. They were worn to show we still had that person (as well as all the others) in our hearts and minds (or, should I say, the people of the 60's and 70's) and some people wore them until that person returned home safe and sound. They had information about that particular POW/MIA engraved on them.

I actually love the idea of this, and think people should still do it, for all Soldiers, and not just POW/MIAs. I actually did something of the sort for my adopted Soldier (through the AAUSS program) that I planned to wear until her deployment is up, but my bracelet has decided to go MIA and I cannot find it ANYWHERE. Which really makes me sad. :( I made her one to match, as well.

Anywayyyy.

So I have this POW bracelet, and obviously it is quite old. I would love to know if this person was ever found (hopefully alive)/returned home. It reads (exactly) "Capt. Peter Hesford" and below that "3-21-68".

Obviously his name and rank, and I guess the date is when he went missing or was captured. I googled it and somebody on a memorial website mentioned having a POW bracelet with the his name on it (they said "Peter Dean Hesford" but not if that's what the bracelet actually read- same bracelet and they found out his middle name? Different bracelet and same person? Different person? I don't really know), and mentioned wearing it and praying for him and being allowed to see a picture of him from his POW/MIA file when serving in the AF.

They never litterally said that he was "assumed dead" or "found dead" but it sort of sounded implied. It WAS a memorial website. So is it the same person? Should I assume the Soldier on my bracelet has indeed, sadly, died?

I don't know. I would love to know if there is a list of the bracelets made and what is known of the Soldier's whose names are on them.

Weirdly, my english teacher last year brought these up once, and said how she had one and they were popular and all, and in the mornings on the news they would show a list of names of the Soldiers who had returned home. She said she never saw her Soldier's name.

I wish I knew if there was anyway to find out if it's even worth wearing the bracelet. (I mean, of course it's worth it. He was still a Soldier and a POW and deserves recognition.) I just wish I knew the back story to such an old 'relic'... of sorts.