JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-RANDOLPH, Texas –
A ceremony honoring prisoners of war and missing-in-action
service members took place today in front of the Missing Man Monument at Joint
Base San Antonio-Randolph.
The ceremony, hosted by the 12th Flying Training Wing, caps
off a week long homage to POWs and MIAs that also included a POW/MIA breakfast
and remembrance run.
“Our nation honors the warriors that defend us,” Col.
Matthew Isler, 12th FTW commander, said. “Today, we honor and remember those
who fought for our country from behind the bars of a prison cell, who kept
faith in their fellow prisoners and returned with dignity. We also remember
today those who did not come home, those who remain missing in action and their
friends and families who daily wait and hope for their loved ones.”
Remembering the sacrifice of POWs and MIAs goes hand in hand
with the creed every Airman recites at the beginning of their career.
“This ceremony shows that we truly are not going to leave
any Airman behind,” Chief Master Sgt. Troy Palmer, 12th FTW command
chief master sergeant. said. “We will not falter or fail until we return them
back home.”
National POW/MIA Recognition Day is observed nationwide on
the third Friday of September every year. During this time, all military
installations fly the National League of Families’ POW/MIA flag, symbolizing
the nation’s remembrance of those who were captured and imprisoned during
war-time operations and those who still remain missing.
“We who came home will never forget those who could not,”
Isler said. “ We are proud to remember our prisoners of war, our missing in
action and their families. We are proud to walk in their footsteps; to earn our
place in this long blue line. We are proud to continue in their tradition of
honor and their legacy of valor.”