Thirty-six Economy Blocks

 

Joe Esquibel was a teenager heading to Europe to fight in World War II. He bought himself a silver bracelet, engraved with his signature. Using a nail, Joe etched the name Lydia on the back: his sweetheart back home in New Mexico. Joe guarded a POW camp in what was then Czechoslovakia. In 1945, he discovered one of his duffel bags had been stolen. He reported the loss, but the bag’s contents – including the bracelet – were gone. Later, Joe received a purple heart. He and Lydia moved to Grand Junction, Colorado, where they raised four kids. In October this year, Petr Švihovec explored the Czech woods with his metal detector. He found a bracelet with a signature and a woman’s name. Petr shared a photo on a Facebook page for treasure hunters. Alena Busovska, who was born in Czechoslovakia and now lives in Grand Junction, saw the photo and acted as a go-between to reunite Joe with his bracelet after 75 years.