Remember POW MIA

Every war there are prisoners of war and missing in action.

Hostages. Some missing are simply Killed in Action, but not yet "found." But there are prisoners of war that are held hostage.

Now you'll see this flag flown high in many public places.

How the country handles resolving this can be an issue.

We have been a part of an organization for the last 10 years who's purpose it is to keep our government aware and accountable on this issue.

Run For The Wall started with a few motorcycle riders in the 1980's, going to Washington D.C. to the Vietnam Memorial Wall to make a statement along with Rolling Thunder, a much larger organization that parades through D.C. the weekend of Memorial Day annually.

THEIR STATEMENT: "BRING THEM ALL HOME"

Look at these numbers from wars all the way back to the Civil War

Civil War - Union: POW/MIA - 194,743 Civil War - Confederacy: POW/MIA - 214,865

Spanish-American War: POW - 8 MIA - 72 World War I: POW/MIA - 7,470

World War II: POW - 124,079 MIA - 30,314

Cold War Era: POW - Classified MIA - 343

Korean War: POW - 7,140 MIA - 8,177

Vietnam War: POW - 766 MIA - 1,817

Persian Gulf War: POWs - 29 MIA - 20

One can find a name of a POW or MIA at this link: (Statistics information taken from this web page.)

"On August 10, 1990, the 101st Congress passed U.S. Public Law 101-355, recognizing the National League of Families POW/MIA Flag and designating it "as a symbol of our Nation's concern and commitment to resolving as fully as possible the fates of Americans still prisoner, missing and unaccounted for in Southeast Asia. Thus ending the uncertainty for their families and the Nation." Beyond Southeast Asia, it has been a symbol for POW/MIAs from all American Wars."

Status from Wikipedia "Pow/Mia"

Beside each name on the Memorial is a symbol designating status. The diamond symbol denotes confirmed death. The cross represents missing in action. When a service member’s remains are returned or accounted for, the diamond is superimposed over the cross.

Other Military/Patriotic Recognition Days 2012

Armed Forces Day - Saturday, May 19, 2012

Memorial Day - Monday, May 28, 2012

Flag Day - Thursday, June 14, 2012

Independence Day - Wednesday, July 4, 2012

Veterans Day - Sunday, November 11, 2012, Observed: Monday, November 12, 2012

The name: Robert Stanley

In 1971, while the Vietnam War was still being fought, Maureen Dunn, the wife of a service member missing in action and member of the National League of Families of American Prisoners and Missing in Southeast Asia, recognized the need for a symbol of U.S. POW/MIAs, some of whom had been held in captivity for as many as seven years. The flag is black, and bears in the center, in black and white, the emblem of the league. The emblem was designed by Newt Heisley, and features a white disk bearing in black silhouette the bust of a man (Jeffery Heisley), watch tower with a guard on patrol, and a strand of barbed wire; above the disk are the white letters POW and MIA framing a white 5-pointed star; below the disk is a black and white wreath above the white motto: "You are not Forgotten."[3]

The flag has been altered many times; the colors have been switched from black with white - to red, white and blue - to white with black; the POW/MIA has at times been revised to MIA/POW.

On March 9, 1989, a league flag that had flown over the White House on the 1988 National POW/MIA Recognition Day was installed in the U.S. Capitol rotunda as a result of legislation passed by the 100th Congress. The league's POW-MIA flag is the only flag ever displayed in the rotunda, and the only one other than the Flag of the United States to have flown over the White House. The leadership of both houses of Congress hosted the installation ceremony in a demonstration of bipartisan congressional support.

Find additional information on this link. This information found by searching online for POW/MIA Flag History on Wikipedia.

Awareness is what this flag is all about. There are families who have never resolved this issue. Missing in Action and Prisoners of War from Korea and Vietnam still have living family members who will always long for their return.

Anytime we set up our ministry at motorcycle or veteran events we include the POW/MIA flag along with the American Flag. Just want to keep people aware of the horrible loss this country has suffered to keep our peace and freedom alive.

THE HEALING OF A NATION

Vietnam Veterans Memorial Collection

Visitors to the memorial began leaving sentimental items at the memorial at its opening. One story claims that this practice began during construction, when a Vietnam veteran threw the Purple Heart his brother received posthumously into the concrete of the memorial's foundation.[11] Several thousand items are left at the memorial each year.

Items left at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial are collected by National Park Service employees and transferred to the NPS Museum and Resource Center, which catalogs and stores all items except perishable organic matter (such as live flowers) and unaltered US flags. The flags are redistributed through various channels.[12]

The largest item left at the memorial was a sliding glass storm door with a full-size replica "tiger cage". The door was painted with a scene in Vietnam and the names of US POWs and MIAs from the conflict.[11]

Other items in collection include a Harley-Davidson motorcycle with the license plate HERO, a plain brown teddy bear which was dressed by other unconnected visitors, a 6' abstract sculpture titled "After the Holocaust", and an experimental W. R. Case "jungle survival knife" of which only 144 were made. It also contains the Medal of Honor of Angelo Liteky, who renounced it in 1986 by placing the medal at the memorial in an envelope addressed to then-President Ronald Reagan.

From 1992 to 2003, selected items from the collection were placed on exhibit, at the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History as "Personal Legacy: The Healing of a Nation".

Information taken from Wikipedia "Vietnam Memorial Wall"

The mission of JPAC is to achieve the fullest possible accounting of all Americans missing as a result of the nation's past conflicts.

400 Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines, Department of the Navy, civilians and contractors are selected to be on the JPAC team. The Central Identification Laboratory (CIL), is one of the largest and most scientifically diverse laboratories in the world. It is the only accredited Skeletal Identification Laboratory (ASCLD-LAB) in the United States.

There are 3 permanent overseas detachments which serve as command & control and in-country support during investigation and recovery operations: Detachment One located in Bangkok, Thailand; Detachment Two in Hanoi, Vietnam; and Detachment Three in Vientiane, Laos. A fourth detachment, Detachment Four, is located in Hawaii and is responsible for recovery team personnel when they are not deployed.

On average, the CIL identifies an MIA about every four days. Since 2003, JPAC has identified more than 560 Americans, and more than 1,800 since the accounting effort began in the 1970's.

Taken from the JPAC web page.

Information taken from JPAC web page, read more details here.

"Official Missing Man Table & Honors Ceremony"

Moderator:

As you entered the dining area, you may have noticed a table at the front, raised to call your attention to its purpose -- it is reserved to honor our missing loved ones [or missing comrades in arms, for veterans].

Set for six, the empty places represent Americans still [our men] missing from each of the five services -- Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, Coast Guard -- and civilians. This Honors Ceremony symbolizes that they are with us, here in spirit.

Some [here] in this room were very young when they were sent into combat; however, all Americans should never forget the brave men and women who answered our nation's call [to serve] and served the cause of freedom with honor.

I would like to ask you to stand, and remain standing for a moment of silent prayer, as the Honor Guard places the five service covers and a civilian cap on each empty plate. [NOTE: if you do not have an honor guard participating, place the hats on the empty plates as you are setting up the table.]

Honor Guard: (In silence or with dignified, quiet music as background, the Honor Guard moves into position around the table and simultaneously places the covers of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force and Coast Guard, and a civilian hat, on the dinner plate at each table setting. The Honor Guard then departs.)

Moderator:

Please be seated ....... I would like to explain the meaning of the items on this special table.

The table is round -- to show our everlasting concern for our missing men.

The tablecloth is white -- symbolizing the purity of their motives when answering the call to duty.

The single red rose, displayed in a vase, reminds us of the life of each of the missing, and the loved ones and friends of these Americans who keep the faith, awaiting answers.

The vase is tied with a red ribbon, symbol of our continued determination to account for our missing.

A slice of lemon on the bread plate is to remind us of the bitter fate of those captured and missing in a foreign land.

A pinch of salt symbolizes the tears endured by those missing and their families who seek answers.

The Bible represents the strength gained through faith to sustain those lost from our country, founded as one nation under God.

The glass is inverted -- to symbolize their inability to share this evening's [morning''s/day''s] toast.

The chairs are empty -- they are missing.

Let us now raise our water glasses in a toast to honor America's POW/MIAs and to the success of our efforts to account for them.

TABLE SET UP:

A round table

White tablecloth

Place setting for 6 (or single place setting), preferably all white

Dress hats for each branch of service, and one civilian (plain) ball cap (the hats hare placed in the center of the dinner plate)

Wine glasses - inverted

Salt shaker

Slice of lemon on bread plates with a pile of spilled salt

Small bud vase with a single stem red rose

RED ribbon tied around the vase

Candle - lit

Empty chairs

This .pdf can be found here.

My husband's uncle was killed on the USS Arizona at Pearl Harbor. This is near and dear to our hearts.