Tuesday was a special day for Texas High school grad Charlie Cole. He was finally reunited with his Class of 1966 ring for the first time in more than five decades.
The curious journey of the elusive ring began in 1966, about two weeks after Cole received it, while he and some classmates were going through their typical daily routine.
"We were in auto mechanics class at the old high school and we changed clothes into our overalls to work in the shop," Cole said. "Somebody went through all our clothes in the locker room and took people's jewelry, watches and money. We don't know who it was."
The answer to who it was and why the ring was taken was a lost cause. And until around 30 years later, there is not a trace of where the ring had been.
About 25 years ago, Annapolis, Maryland, resident John Stader was at an alumni function for the U.S. Naval Academy, where he and friends found a ring, and the responsibility of handling the ring was passed to Stader.
"I first assumed that a classmate had lost the ring at the party," Stader said. "But when I think about it, I don't think any classmate would've been wearing a high school ring. He would've been wearing a graduation ring."
Stader futilely attempted to find the owner, not knowing he was 1,000 miles away.
"It sat on my desk for over 20 years," Stader said. "Every now and then, I'd look at it and say, 'What in the world am I going to do with this thing?'"
About a year and a half ago, Stader's son Tom was moving to Texas for a new job. Seeing the ring had "Texas High" on it, John Stader told his son to take the ring down south with him.
"I saw this as an opportunity to maybe find somebody who actually owned the ring or wanted it," John Stader said. "So I asked Tom to see what he could do."
Tom Stader, who now lives in Austin, started looking into what to do with the ring a couple of months ago.
He and a few friends were analyzing it one day and noticed there was a similarity between the tiger mascot on the ring and Texas High's mascot. This, combined with the name of the city "Texarkana," led him to believe this was the right school.
He then found a contact list and got in touch with Tina Veal-Gooch, who is the chief communications officer at Texarkana Independent School District, on Nov. 14.
Tom Stader emailed Veal-Gooch photos and they noticed initials on the inside of the ring, which he said were too small to see at first glance. They read "C H C" - Charlie Hugh Cole.
"In reviewing our Alumni Directory, I found a Charlie Cole from the Class of '66 who had the same initials that were in the ring," Veal-Gooch said.
She got in touch with Cole and found it was in fact his ring.
Upon hearing the news, Tom Stader mailed the ring to Cole last Friday. He received it Tuesday.
Cole said he might have to have it resized as his hands aren't quite the same size as they were in 1966.
"Right now, it's a pinkie ring," he said.
Cole, who enlisted in the Army in 1976 and served two tours in Vietnam since he last saw the ring, said it's almost as good as new.
"I'm in shock," he said. "I never thought I would ever see it again."