Grissom Air Reserve Base, Ind. -- The men and women of Grissom recently united during a ceremony here to remember those who were prisoners of war and those who are still missing in action.
POW/MIA Recognition Day, officially observed on the third Friday of September, is recognized by the prominent display of the POW/MIA flag.
The ceremony was led by Col. Anna Schulte, 434th Maintenance Group commander, who opened the event with words of remembrance.
“Today, we pause to remember the sacrifices of the more than 50,000 Americans who are still missing or unaccounted for,” said Schulte. “We remember their families – those whose pain and suffering does not subside with the passage of time.
“POW/MIA Recognition Day serves to remind us that the true cost of war extends far beyond the last shots being fired,” she added.
During World War II more than 130,000 Americans were taken as prisoners of war, and at the beginning of September 2016 over 30,000 Americans remain missing in action.
“We are a profession of arms; we are a brotherhood; we should not and we will not rest until we achieve the fullest possible accounting of all those who have yet come home,” explained Schulte. “Remember all of our missing and unaccounted for because as the POW/MIA flag says, ‘You are not forgotten!’"
Following the ceremony, the flag was raised in accordance to the designation of Congress, on a single flag pole below the United States flag.
The 434th ARW is the largest KC-135R Stratotanker unit in the Air Force Reserve Command. Men and women from the Hoosier Wing routinely deploy around the world in support of the Air Force mission.
Stay connected, visit Grissom on Facebook and Twitter. The 434th ARW is the largest KC-135R Stratotanker unit in the Air Force Reserve Command. Men and women from the Hoosier Wing routinely deploy around the world in support of the Air Force mission.
Stay connected, visit Grissom on Facebook and Twitter.