This is a story about two different people in two different parts of the world. Their stories first begin in 1968. And now, almost 56 years later, we are hoping that with your help, their paths will cross for the first time. Before you meet the two subjects of this story, we would like you to think back to December 31, 1968. If you lived it, you might remember seeing the image of the very first Earthrise, captured by the astronauts of Apollo 8 a week earlier on Christmas Eve. And if you didn’t live it, you have no doubt seen the captivating image of the illuminated Earth as the crew orbited the moon. When the U.S. Army newspaper, Stars and Stripes, hit the newsstands on that New Year’s Eve, servicemembers around the world were awestruck by that image of Earth. It literally took their breath away.

Doug LaViolette was one of these servicemen. As a young soldier, a kid actually, Doug wondered about his future and what the world would have in store for him. Little did he realize that within a few years, he would meet the love of his life, Renee. They would be married in 1974, and matters would change from “I” to "us." They would have two loving children, a son they named Brian, and a beautiful daughter christened Kimberly, and in September of 2024 they will celebrate 50 years of marriage. But we’re getting ahead of ourselves.

For the story to continue, we need to go back to that last day of 1968. Doug was stationed in Augsburg Germany, knee-deep in the Cold War and the cold weather. On that same day half a world away (actually 5922 miles away), another soldier was at the House of Adler Vietnam Exchange, buying what was possibly his first “good watch” with his hard-earned combat pay. We know that this soldier was an E4, serving with the 611th Transportation Company. His name appears to be Thomas C. Neshah and his RA Service Number, 56xxxxxx. How do we know all of this? It’s written "somewhat" clearly at the bottom of the original receipt. The timepiece that this soldier so carefully selected and then, for decades, took such good care of, will be coming up for auction at the end of this year. Proceeds from the auction will benefit the Brian LaViolette Scholarship Foundation, formed in 1992 after Doug and Renee’s son Brian was lost in a swimming accident. In anticipation of this year’s auction, we would be honored to share more of the story of the soldier who first owned this watch. But first, we need to find him.