News-Info-Alerts

Re: National POW-MIA Recognition Day

To: ALL

From: Andi Wolos & Bob Necci

(POW-MIA InterNetwork)

Date: September 22, 2002

"September 20, 2002

We have not and will not forget

by Connie Brown
Sea Services Weekly

Only one flag other than Old Glory is flown over the White House. Once a year, the POW/MIA flag flies over the White House in honor of servicemembers who were imprisoned and of those who are still missing.

In honor of National POW/MIA day, commemorative services are held at military and civic organizations throughout the country and around the world. "Many military units will have a missing man table observance," said Larry Greer, Director of Public Affairs, Defense POW/MIA office.

Naval District Washington Commandant, Rear Adm. Christopher E. Adm. Weaver and Adm. McKinney (ret.) will perform a wreath laying ceremony to honor Navy prisoners of war and those who are missing in action. The ceremony will be held today at 1:00 p.m. at the Navy Memorial in Washington, D.C.

The National ceremony will begin at 2 p.m.

The yearly commemorative ceremony is planned and coordinated by the Defense Prisoner of War/Missing Personnel Office. The four branches of service take turns assuming the responsibility for the ceremony. "We rotate it among the four services. This year, it's the Marine Corps' responsibility," said Greer.

The national ceremony is usually held on the third Friday of September at the Pentagon. "Last year it was held on Sept 21, just 10 days after the Pentagon was attacked," said Greer. "For security reasons we had to move the ceremony away from the Pentagon to Arlington Ceremony. At that time, this particular ceremony was for those who were missing in wars and for those who had just died in the attack on the Pentagon."

"This year, it's at the Pentagon River Entrance parade field. It is open to the public. Special written invitations have gone to former POWs in the area. This year's ceremony will be hosted by Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld," said Greer. "Congressman Sam Johnson, who was himself a former POW, was invited to be the guest speaker."

The event will include a military band, honor guard and a joint service fly over. The ceremony will be held on a huge parade ground at the Pentagon and will last for approximately one hour. Seating is available.

"For the general public or anyone who does not have a Pentagon access badge, they may park in the North parking lot, rows 58 or 59, where a shuttle bus will take them to the ceremony," said Greer.

The national ceremony is attended by people from across the country. "Many of (the family members of POW/MIAs) have told us it helps them write the last page of the last chapter of a sad part of their lives," Greer said.

The first national commemoration to honor American POWs and MIAs was held on July 18, 1979, at the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C.

Every year after that, until 1995, Congress passed resolutions to recognize America's POW/MIAs. Each year since 1995, the national day to honor those who were prisoners of war or missing in action is made by presidential proclamation. This year's presidential proclamation is expected to be released soon and will be available on the White House's Web site (www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases).

In last year's presidential proclamation, President Bush renewed the country's "unwavering commitment and determination to obtain the fullest possible accounting for (the missing), including their recovery or repatriation and the identification of the remains of those who have died."

That commitment is evident by the continuing recovery and identification of the remains of American servicemen who were missing.

 

In an August news release, the Defense Prisoner of War/Missing Personnel Office announced the progress of recover efforts in Vietnam and Korea. The remaines of three U.S. Army servicemen from the Vietnam War have been identified and were returned to their families. In a second report, it was announced that remains believed to be those of seven soldiers missing during the Korean War were repatriated.

The most recent news release comes from Burma. A spokesman at the Pentagon said that a team in Burma has just recently found a couple of C47s that crashed in 1944 and 1945. "This is the first time that that country has allowed us in to look," said Dan Hetlage, public affairs officer, Defense Prisoner of War/Missing Personnel Office. "We may be able to evacuate (the remains) as early as 2003."

As ongoing recovery efforts continue, the POW/MIA flag flies across the country to honor and remember America's missing. Each year, the POW/MIA Flag flies on Armed Forces Day, Memorial Day, Flag Day, Independence Day, National POW/MIA Recognition Day and Veterans Day.

Although the POW/MIA flag was originally designed to represent the men missing from the Vietnam War, this flag has come to symbolize all of America's POW/MIAs who have not and will not be forgotten.

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