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CNN Saturday Morning News
American Businessman Attempt to Return Dog Tags Found in Vietnam
Aired July 07, 2001 - 08:15 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Two American businessmen in Vietnam found something they didn't expect -- shops selling dog tags that belonged to U.S. service personnel during the war. The men, Jim Gain and Rob Stiff, returned to Vietnam later to buy as many as they could and they created a Web site with the hope of reuniting the tags with family members.
Rob Stiff of founddogtags.com joins us from Orlando, Florida and Ruth Decker is on the phone from Elmhurst, Illinois. She lost her son in Vietnam. His tag was among those recovered by these two businessmen. Thank you both for being with us.
ROB STIFF, WWW.FOUNDDOGTAGS.COM: Thank you.
RUTH DECKER, LOST SON IN VIETNAM: Thank you.
PHILLIPS: Rob, why don't you start by telling us why you went to Vietnam and how you came across this back alley shop and these dog tags?
STIFF: Well, the first trip to Vietnam was a business exploration to look at manufacturing and export opportunities. And on the last day we were there, we went into the local market where local products are sold. In the very back there were war paraphernalia items and on the very top of the pile in a guy's hand was dog tags offered for sale.
PHILLIPS: How did you know they were real?
DECKER: Well, we didn't know for sure that they were real. And that was a very good question that Jim and I both asked ourself before we went back the second time to get the dog tags. But we knew we were willing to make that, take that risk if, in fact, they were real to get them back to those families.
PHILLIPS: And then how did you connect with Ruth Decker?
STIFF: Well, when we got back on the second trip and we got the dog tags, we went to the office of Congressman Ric Keller and they helped us locate the mother, Ruth Decker, and we got in touch with her and we returned the dog tags.
PHILLIPS: So, Ruth, when you got that phone call, did you believe it?
DECKER: No. No, I didn't believe it at all because it was, it had been so many years since we lost Allan that I just, you know, it never entered my mind to even think about dog tags. But I was just really, I was just so honored. I can't tell you how honored I was. And so after I hung up from talking to Rob, I said well, I'm just going to look at my husband's dog tags because he had them in a little treasure box of his. And when I went to look at my husband's there was one dog tag from my son Allan.
And I couldn't wait for Rob to call me back so that I could share it with him. And it was just exciting. I said, "Rob, I've found Allan's dog tag." And so we just have been just sharing different things since then.
PHILLIPS: Has it helped you with regard to healing?
DECKER: It has, it's been a healing process all through the years, but the greatest healing for me was when I received a letter from Ralph Gibson and telling me that my son believed in god very strong. He will take care of him. And so to me that was the greatest encouragement and lifter upper, you might say. And I've corresponded and seen these, there was another young man, David Lopez. These two young men have remained my friends through the years and now I have gained two more friends with Jim and Rob. And God is good, that's all I can say.
PHILLIPS: Oh, Ruth. Well, when you got these dog tags, how did it happen? Didn't it happen at a special ceremony on the Fourth of July?
PHILLIPS: Yes, it, god works in mysterious ways, his wonders to perform. And, yes, it was my 76th birthday. So it was a beautiful, beautiful gift and with loving friends and family surrounding me.
PHILLIPS: Oh. Now, Rob, when you found these dog tags, how much did you pay to bring them back? I understand you brought back 640 of them?
STIFF: Actually, 620.
PHILLIPS: Six hundred and twenty, OK.
STIFF: And in most cases we were getting the dog tags six or seven for a dollar, some $0.13 apiece.
PHILLIPS: Wow. And any luck in finding any more matches so far?
STIFF: Well, absolutely. I just received an e-mail this morning from a gentleman who wants to surprise his father, who is alive today, where we found his dog tags.
PHILLIPS: How many hits have you gotten on this Web site?
STIFF: Nearly 40,000 direct hits to the home page and many more hits on the internal pages. PHILLIPS: Wow. Now, Ruth, what are you going to do with Allen's dog tag? Are you going to put it with your husband's?
DECKER: Oh, absolutely. I'm going to, I'm so happy I have that little treasure chest and it's going to go right back in that treasure chest with my husband's. And I had, my husband served in the navy and my other, my son Allen in the marines and my son Robert, my oldest son was in the air force and Dennis was in the army. And my youngest son right now is in a hospital in Memphis, not Memphis, Mississippi. And I'm just sharing this with all of them. And I have two daughters, also.
PHILLIPS: And as you share this, Rob, how does it make you feel to be able to do such a special thing for these families?
STIFF: Well, it's been a very humbling experience for both Jim and myself and it's really made us appreciate the men and women who served in the armed forces and have made the sacrifices for our freedom.
PHILLIPS: Before we go, Ruth, I know you read a very special poem to your son. Now you're going to be holding onto his dog tag. Will you recite that poem before we go?
DECKER: I'll try to get it together. I don't have it in front of me, but I have it in my mind.
PHILLIPS: OK.
DECKER: And I wrote this poem as I stood by my son's grave when he would have turned 21. And it was on June 16th. And I said today my son would have been a man. But it wasn't part of the lord's plan. He took him when he was still a teen with his whole life ahead of him, to us it did seem. But it's not for us to question why that the lord called Allen to die in Vietnam, but rather let this our thought be, that our savior died also for you and me. That's it.
PHILLIPS: Ruth Decker and Rob Stiff, thanks much for being with us this morning. Quite an empowering story. Thank you both for sharing it with us.
DECKER: Thank you so much.
STIFF: Thank you very much.
DECKER: Bye now.
PHILLIPS: Right.
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