Stranger Reunites WWII Veteran With Long-Lost Bracelet After 76 Years

June 4, 2024 Malorie Thompson

When Joe Esquibel joined the United States Army as a teenager some seventy-six years ago, he was quickly whisked away to Europe to fight in World War II.

Before he left, however, he purchased a silver bracelet to wear as a safety charm. On one side, he engraved his signature. On the other side, he engraved the name of the woman he loved who he was leaving behind: Lydia.

According to CPR News, Joe was stationed stationed at a prisoner of war camp in then-Czechoslovakia. Sadly, before he left for Germany in 1945, his bag was stolen and it contained his special silver bracelet.

While Joe thought the bracelet was lost forever, a Czech reporter named Petr Svihohec took a metal detector to the ruins of the POW camp and discovered the small metal piece - 76 years after it'd been stolen.

According to CPR News, Petr said (translated): "So I started to dig and I found a U.S. pin. And after that I found a silver bracelet on which I noticed that there was a kind of signature."

The outlet reported that Petr cleaned up the bracelet and shared a photo of it on Facebook, hoping someone might recognize what was engraved in the metal. People gave him around 30 different guesses, but one made the most sense: Lydia Esquibel.

Petr tracked down Lydia but discovered she sadly passed away in 2019. However, his search led him to Lydia's husband and the owner of the bracelet.

Petr shared photos and stores of the situation in a dedicated photo album on Facebook.

He was able to reunite the now 96-year-old Joe with the long-last bracelet, and he couldn't be happier about having it back on his wrist.

Malorie Thompson

Malorie works as a writer and editor in Northern California. She's passionate about food, conscious living, animal welfare, and conservation. She's worked with a variety of publications in different sectors but is happiest covering topics close to her heart. When not at her laptop, Malorie can be found enjoying picnics on the beach, hiking in the redwoods, and spending time with her rescue pup, Jax.

Country/region

Help Animals That Need Medical Care

Unique Quality Products

From exclusive pet-loving designs to hand-crafted artisan goods, our products are hand-picked for their superior quality and unique features.

Exceptional Value

We believe that shopping for good should be affordable and accessible to everyone, which is why we offer fair pricing and daily deals.

Satisfaction Guaranteed

With 20 years of extraordinary customer service and a stellar 4.8 ⭐ average rating, we stand by our process and your guaranteed satisfaction.

Every Purchase Gives Back

Every single purchase helps fund today’s most relevant and impactful causes so you can contribute to the causes you care about most, supporting people, pets, and the planet.

Join the Movement

Connect with millions of animal lovers and humanitarians that make up the GreaterGood community, and discover the power of collective impact. Together, we’ve raised over $80 million for charity and counting!