On a recent Saturday, I was contacted by a young lady who was very upset. She told me that while accompanying a group of youngsters at The Army Heritage Center Foundation at Carlisle, Pennsylvania, she lost her ring; actually 3 rings soldered together. I agreed to meet her at the location the next day, rain or shine.
It is important to state that while I never disclose a location that I search, this was very different. The Army Heritage Center Foundation is a federal facility and is open to the public. Metal detecting is not allowed on the property but I was granted special permission by the young lady discussing the matter with management. This location contains historical exhibits for every war in which this country was engaged. If you are ever visiting this area it would be worthy of your time to visit this wonderful site.
On the morning as I drove to the site, the weather was terrible with very heavy rain. I was prepared so the rain was not much of an issue. Fortunately, as I arrived at 0845, the rain ended with only a couple of mild showers coming later while searching. The young lady warned me that the area was large. It is 54.79 acres. This was going to be a challenge but I don’t back down from one. If the ring was there, I would find it no matter how many hours or days it took.
After meeting the lady she led me to all of the areas where she had walked. Searching began at 0915 and I did not stop until 1710, taking about 15 minutes for an energy drink. I knew the lady was disheartened that the ring had not yet been located. I told her that if it was found on a Saturday, and the building is not open on Sunday, that there was a chance that it might be turned in. I gave her some other advice as to what she could do in the meantime but I assured her I was not finished and was scheduled to return. Prior to reaching out to me, she had contacted two other « Ringfinders », John and Brian, and both agreed that if needed, they would be willing to assist. A special « Thank You » to each for the offers. Both were going to come on the following weekend if needed; a long drive for each.
As stated, the exhibits covered the various war periods. When we were near the Vietnam War exhibit, the lady was talking to someone so I was alone. She did not notice that I stopped detecting for a couple of minutes as I looked at a map of Vietnam. Memories hit me of things I won’t ever forget. Also, it is fitting to state here that I thought of my high school buddy, Robert Francis Stryker, a hero and a member of the U.S. Army. During my own tour of duty in Vietnam, while I was hundreds of miles north, Stryker was involved in a fierce battle in the south. He was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his unselfish actions in that battle. Later, an Army combat vehicle was named after him. So there I was looking for a lost ring while lost, dormant memories had suddenly returned to me.
After searching for 8 hours, I was exhausted. I was going to come back in a couple of days to cover some areas that had not been checked. If not successful, I was ready to contact John and Brian to unleash the « calvary » on the following weekend.
On Monday morning, while checking and cleaning my equipment I received a telephone call from the lady who had lost the ring. She informed me that someone found the ring near an exhibit on Saturday and had just now turned it in at the Center. She said the « finder » did not leave a name so she could not thank the person for their act of kindness. If that person ever reads this, please contact me so that I can put you in touch with a very thankful person.
I have never made a post about something not found but I felt this one was different. My hope is that for those who read this that they will agree and understand. And if you are a Vietnam Veteran, Welcome Home!
Robert was absolutely wonderful to work with. I called him in desperate need of his help. He was able to meet me the following morning to begin the search. When we first met in the parking lot, I could tell he was determined to do whatever needed to find my ring for me. He gathered his supplies and put on his Vietnam veteran hat and we were off to retrace my steps. I warned him it was a very large area and that it might rain most of the day, but neither seemed to bother him. Along our search he taught me a lot about metal detecting and shared stories from a few of his recoveries with me. This helped me to stay calm and ease my mind a little. He searched for my ring for 8 hours that day! I couldn’t believe his dedication and determination. I offered to him several times if he needed/wanted a break he absolutely could stop and take 1, he never did, expect for once to drink a boost drink and then continued searching. After 8 hours of searching we all felt defeated and I thought for sure my rings were gone forever. He assured me he would continue searching again in a few days and also told me some other suggestions I could do in the next few days. He was extremely professional the entire time we were together and helped me remain calm when he saw I was getting emotional or feeling defeated. He even offered to contact other ring finders in PA to search together as a team the following weekend if needed. Although he did not find the ring himself, he helped me more then he will ever know that day. The ring was turned in the following morning by a person who left no contact information for me to thank them or send a reward.
If you lost something, Robert is the guy you need to call! I cant recommend him enough and am truly grateful for him and ring finders!