A ring lost more than half a century ago has resurfaced. The engraving is faint, but the story could be unforgettable.
HARRIS COUNTY, Texas — A 1964 Klein High School class ring has found its way back to northwest Harris County after a 61-year journey that apparently went through Vietnam and Germany.
Its discovery prompted a community-wide search for its rightful owner.
The ring was delivered to Klein ISD last week by Chung Ho, whose brother acquired it in Germany in 1982 while producing a Vietnamese music concert. Ho believes the ring may have belonged to a U.S. soldier who served in Vietnam.
“1965 is a year that America sent many troops to Vietnam,” Chung said.
Yolanda Barlow is the Klein High School receptionist who met with Chung.
“She said it was in Vietnam. And I was, like, wait, you brought her here?” Barlow said.
District historians launch investigation
Klein ISD’s two historians, Steve Baird and John Wilson, immediately began investigating the ring’s origins, focusing on the school’s 1964 senior class of just 24 male students — a stark contrast to today’s bustling campus of 3,500 students.
“So, when we started looking at the groups, we started going through obituaries and active-duty rosters and try to talk to other contacts or family names,” one of the historians said.
The investigators initially believed they had identified the owner as Leroy Strack.
“We know he served in Vietnam,” Baird said.
“We thought we had it. We were high-fiving each other,” Wilson said.
However, their excitement was short-lived when Strack himself confirmed the ring wasn’t his.
“It’s still in my safe deposit box, not me,” Strack told investigators.
Social media campaign gains traction
The district turned to social media to help solve the mystery, posting about the ring on Facebook, where it has generated significant community interest.
“We have, right now, about 1,500 shares, hundreds of comments, and people are very invested in the story,” Klein ISD administrator Justin Elbert said.
A lot of commentators also did some research themselves, trying to help find the owner.
The ring contains a worn inscription that Elbert believes reads, “K and then Dons. K-dons. And then there’s an O, and then either a C or a T and Hoa,” according to one historian’s analysis.
Personal journey brings ring home
For Chung, the ring represents more than just a mystery to be solved. Her family’s connection to the piece of jewelry spans decades — her brother and father wore it on and off over the years. In 2008, she came to UT Austin for graduate school and got pregnant. It was a time of great joy and struggle.
Now, as her own children toured the UT campus, Chung made a side trip to deliver the ring.
“(It’s) a part of my life, a part of my journey, a part of my experience. I think it’s time for the ring to go home,” Chung said.
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