Community Gathers for National POW/MIA Recognition Day

On Friday, Sept. 19, Fire Station 23 in Grand Terrace hosted the first annual POW/MIA memorial ceremony. Sept. 19, is a nationally recognized day honoring prisoners of war and those missing in action as well as their families. POW or prisoner of war, is a member of the armed forces, combatant, or non-combatant, who is held custody by militant forces during or immediately after-armed conflict. MIA, or missing in action, is any member of the armed forces whose whereabouts are unknown or whose death cannot be established beyond a reasonable doubt. The earliest record of POW/MIA was during the Vietnam War. Vietnam War veteran, Bob Lavin, chairman of the Veterans Wall of Freedom committee in Grand Terrace, organized the ceremony in accordance with the nationally-recognized POW/MIA Recognition Day. The day is observed throughout the country within veteran organizations and private organizations. The ceremony began at 11 a.m. in accordance with the original day; POW/MIA Recognition Day was officially recognized. “As a veteran I feel it is my obligation to remember and raise POW/MIA awareness because these are men that fought for our freedom,” Lavin said. The ceremony opened with a formal introduction by Bob Lavin, in which he honored the nearly 83,000 members of the armed forces that were deemed POW/MIA. Azure Hills' Community Pastor Andy McRae, then recited the formal prayer for those missing in action, which is used in POW/MIA recognition ceremonies throughout the country. The ceremony followed the protocol that many other organizations use to honor POW/MIA. Valerie Holmes, of Colton, a blue star mother, a congressionally-recognized group, that supports mothers whose sons and daughters are in any branch of military, presented the POW/MIA missing man table during the ceremony. The round table symbolizes everlasting concern for all POW/MIA: - The white cloth symbolizes the purity of motives when a member is called duty. - A single red rose on the table symbolizes the lives of Americans- whose loved ones continue to remember them and keep faith while seeking answers for them. - A slice of lemon to symbolize the bitter fate of those captured in a foreign land. - A red ribbon symbolizes the continued determination to account for all those missing in action. - A lighted candle reflects the everlasting hope for the return of POW/MIA, alive or dead. - A pinch of salt symbolizes the tears of the missing and of their; loved ones who long for answers. - The Bible symbolizes the faith of a country founded ‘under God’ by the founding fathers. - An inverted glass represents the missing’s inability to share a toast - The empty table symbolizes those that are missing. A moment of silence was shared after the presentation of the missing man table. The ceremony closed with Bob Lavin thanking the firemen of Fire Station 23 and all the attendees for participating the day’s ceremony. The event will be held annually in various locations throughout the community.