Vernon Luce, State Commander of the New Mexico Veterans of Foreign Wars, addresses the crowd at the Prisoner of War/Missing in Action Ceremony at Cannon Air Force Base, N.M., Sept. 21, 2012. The ceremony was held in honor of those service members who have fallen into enemy hands or have never been recovered. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Ericka Engblom)
Members of Honor Guard fold the American Flag at the Prisoner of War/Missing in Action Ceremony at Cannon Air Force Base, N.M., Sept. 21, 2012. The ceremony was held in honor of those service members who have fallen into enemy hands or have never been recovered. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Ericka Engblom)
The 27th Special Operations Wing Staff Agency lead by Capt. Anastasia Burgess, 27 SOW Public Affairs deputy chief, stands at parade rest during the Prisoner of War/Missing in Action Ceremony at Cannon Air Force Base, N.M., Sept. 21, 2012. The ceremony was held in honor of those service members who have fallen into enemy hands or have never been recovered. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Ericka Engblom)
Tyleen Caffrey, local musician, plays taps at the Prisoner of War/Missing in Action Ceremony at Cannon Air Force Base, N.M., Sept. 21, 2012. The ceremony was held in honor of those service members who have fallen into enemy hands or have never been recovered. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Ericka Engblom)
by Senior Airman Whitney Tucker
27th Special Operations Wing Public Affairs
9/24/2012 - CANNON AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. -- Airmen at the 27th Special Operations Wing are running. Running to remember; running to connect; running to pay homage to the ocean of tears shed at funerals with empty caskets, for brothers in arms who may never come home.
Ceremonies affirming the commitment to bring home America's lost are held across the country on military installations and ships at sea; at state capitals, schools and churches; by national veteran and civic organizations, police and fire departments; and a plethora of other agencies. Joining in this collective veneration, Air Commandos at Cannon Air Force Base, N.M., took part in the base's observance of National POW/MIA Recognition Day which included a memorial clean-up, 24-hour vigil run, name reading and retreat ceremony.
On August 10, 1990, Congress passed U.S. Public Law 101-355, designating the prisoner of war and missing in action flag. Its depiction of a gaunt silhouette, a length of barbed wire and a lofty watchtower is hoisted above the White House on the third Friday of September each year, claiming a position of reverence none but "Old Glory" could previously boast.
"I am honored to be here today to help salute the men and women who served and sacrificed to keep America free, and to recognize the families of the missing who continue to hope and pray their loved ones will one day return home from their wars," said guest speaker, Vernon Luce, State Commander of the New Mexico Veterans of Foreign Wars. "My war has ended; theirs sadly, has not."
According to the Defense Prisoner of War/Missing Personnel Office, more than 83,000 Americans remain missing from World War II, the Korean War, the Cold War, the Vietnam War and the 1991 Gulf War.
Acting on the intrinsic belief that every life is precious, the U.S. government continues to dispatch dive-and-salvage teams, forensic experts and investigative forces to deserts and jungles across the globe.
"We're blessed to live in the only country that actively cares about the recovery and return of our missing soldiers, sailors, Airmen, Marines, coastguardsmen and civilians," Luce said. "America's full accounting mission falls squarely on the shoulders of 500 dedicated military and civilian members of the Defense POW/MIA Personnel Office and the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command. They carry on because they know somewhere out there is an American family who deserves to know what happened to the loved one they sent off to war so many years ago."
Even today, America's sons and daughters pledge to support and defend during one of the nation's most volatile conflicts to date. They do so of their own volition, with the knowledge that some will pay the ultimate price, and others will fall under the power of the enemy.
This fearless demonstration of faith speaks to the confidence service members have placed in the ability of their government to fulfill the promise to never stop searching, and to bring resolution to past, present and future generations in the land of the free and the home of the brave.
"From the mountains and oceans to the deserts and jungles, our brave men and women in uniform go where duty calls them," Luce said. "They don't serve for fame and glory and they don't serve for the money. They march on because they know they have each other's back. The full accounting mission is a promise to those who serve; we have your back too."
