News-Info-Alerts

To: ALL

From: Andi Wolos & Bob Necci

(POW-MIA InterNetwork)

Re: POW-MIA Recognition Day 2001

Date: September 21, 2001

"Vietnam War POW keynote speaker for ceremony
by Rudi Williams
American Forces Press Service

09/20/01 - WASHINGTON (AFPN) -- Orson G. Swindle III, who spent six years and four months as a prisoner of war in North Vietnam, is the slated keynote speaker at the National POW/MIA Recognition Day ceremony scheduled for Sept. 21 at Arlington National Cemetery.

Swindle, a Federal Trade Commission commissioner, was shot down on Veterans Day, Nov. 11, 1966, while flying his 205th combat mission over North Vietnam. Captured and held prisoner by the North Vietnamese, he was released March 4, 1973. He retired from the Marine Corps in 1979 as a lieutenant colonel with 20 military decorations for valor in combat, including two Silver Stars and two Bronze Star Medals, and two Purple Hearts.

Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz will conduct the ceremony. Attendees will include former POWs, veterans, servicemembers and family members of servicemen missing in action.

"Our nation's commitment to account for our MIAs is part of the spirit of commitment of Americans to one another that has been demonstrated so strongly in the past week," Wolfowitz said. "At a time when our free and democratic way of life is under attack, we will hold fast to our commitment to account for these men who made the ultimate sacrifice to defend our country. We will bring them home no matter where it takes us, and no matter how long it takes us."

The Army is this year's ceremonial host, a duty that is rotated among the four services. The ceremony will involve military troop formations from each service, a joint color guard, a fly over and a cannon salute by the Army's Old Guard from Fort Myer, Va.

"The purpose of events at (Arlington Cemetery), local installations worldwide, veterans' posts and in communities worldwide, is to honor and commemorate the sacrifices of former POWs, missing in action servicemen and their families," said Larry Greer, spokesman for the Defense POW and Missing Personnel Office. "The president will issue a proclamation, which will also honor former POWs, MIAs and their families."

The Arlington ceremony will also honor the seven Americans and nine Vietnamese who died April 7, when their helicopter crashed in Vietnam while searching for missing Americans.

"They were the first Americans who have died in the quest to recover remains of servicemen from any conflict," Greer said. "We have teams all over the world doing this dangerous recovery work all over the world."

Sixty sets of remains thought to be those of missing Americans have been repatriated so far this year. They include 22 from World War II, 17 from the Korean War, 20 from Southeast Asia and one from the Cold War, Greer said."