Orange County man reunited with long-lost class ring after over 60 years

ORANGE COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) -- An Orange County man has been reunited with his long-lost high school class ring -- a ring he'd lost on a Naval ship more than six decades ago, during the Cuban Missile Crisis.

In late June, the Orange County Sheriff's Office shared the epic tale of how one of its deputies, Trey Carter, played a vital role in returning Bernard F. Sacra's class ring.

Sacra joined the U.S. Navy immediately after graduating from Orange County High School in 1961. In 1962, amid the Cuban Missile Crisis, he was aboard the U.S.S. Franklin near Cuba when he lost his class ring.

A Navy SEAL then found the ring on a beach near a California Navy base -- though how it got there remains a mystery. He spent years trying to find its owner, but he was never able to do so.

After his death, his stepson -- Buddy McQueen of Alcoa, Tennessee -- decided it was his turn to try.

Bernard F. Sacra's long-lost Orange County High School class ring from 1961. (Photo: Orange County Sheriff's Office)

On Wednesday, June 18, McQueen reached out to Carter and shared the story of the ring with the deputy.

The class ring had two important identifying markings that helped McQueen find Carter, and thusly Carter find Sacra: the initials "B.F.S." and the graduation information "Orange County High School," "Class of 1961."

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Carter used that information to identify Sacra in a 1961 Orange County High School yearbook. He was the only student that year with those initials.

McQueen then mailed the ring to Carter.

Bernard F. Sacra [center] is reunited with his long-lost Orange County High School class ring from 1961. Deputy Trey Carter [right] played a vital role in making that happen. (Photo: Orange County Sheriff's Office)

On Saturday, June 27, an incredible 63 years after the ring was lost in Cuban waters, Carter was able to personally present it to Sacra.

"For reference, [the same year] Bernard lost his ring, John F. Kennedy was president, the first James Bond film was released [and] Marilyn Monroe passed away," the sheriff's office said.