By Andrew West

DOVER – A California woman’s brick dedication to a fallen soldier highlighted a National Vietnam War Veterans Day event Saturday in Dover.

The brick honors James Moreland who went missing after a battle in Lang Vei and years later was identified as a casualty.

Kathy Strong made the trip from the West Coast to honor Moreland in her journey to have his name placed at memorials in all 50 states. Delaware was the 45^th.

She told those gathered the story of how she had Sgt. Moreland in her thoughts and prayers since she was a 12-year-old in 1972.

The connection was a silver bracelet she received as a Christmas gift. Names of soldiers who were missing in action or possibly prisoners of war were engraved on the trendy bracelets.

Hers read “Spec 5 James Moreland 2-7-68.”

What makes the story unique is that Ms. Strong never knew Sgt. Moreland, but she wore the bracelet for 38 years, vowing to keep it on until he was welcomed home.

Through DNA testing of bone fragments, the military identified him in 2011. At Sgt. Moreland’s funeral in his native state of Alabama, Ms. Strong finally let go of the bracelet, attaching it to his service uniform that was prepared for his casket and burial.

On Saturday, the memorial brick was placed below the park’s Huey helicopter alongside a bench with the inscription, “All gave some, some gave all.”

This year marks 50 years since the war ended.