Photo By Tech. Sgt. Aaron Jenne | Four F-15E Strike Eagles assigned to the 4th Fighter Wing conduct a missing-man...... read more read more
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SEYMOUR JOHNSON AIR FORCE BASE, N.C. - Members of Team Seymour gathered for a ceremony at Heritage Park, in the shadows of the wing's historic display jets, to pay tribute to prisoners of war and service members missing in action Sept. 19, on Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina.
The ceremony was a culmination of the week's events, which also included a Candle Lighting Ceremony, several movie screenings, information booths around base, and a 24-hour relay run.
The event roared to life when the Green Knights and the Guardian Brotherhood, both motorcycle groups who honor service members, first responders and members of the Department of Defense, rumbled by the park.
An Army POW of the Korean War was also in attendance during the ceremony. Gaspar Gonzalez, who also received a Purple Heart for injuries sustained in the Vietnam War, spent 22 days in captivity in a hut five miles from the Manchurian Border in 1950.
"We appreciate everything that the public does for us," Gonzalez said. "I'm glad that people are recognizing the POWs of Vietnam and Korea because it's just as important to remember those wars as it is to remember World War II."
Retired Army colonel and Medal of Honor recipient, Walter J. Marm, spoke during the ceremony and stressed the importance of remembering Americans who've endured captivity in enemy hands, as well as those whose fate remains unknown.
"Today is a time to remember - to remember the faces of the prisoners of war, to remember the names of the missing in action, and to remember and reaffirm the pledge our nation's leaders have made to account for every service member who did not come home," Marm said. "This is a pledge which also holds true for today's service men and women. They can bravely and confidently serve in Afghanistan and other theaters of war on terror, knowing that if they do fall in battle, our nation will do everything in its power to bring them home."
The ceremony, held in conjunction with national POW/MIA Recognition Day, also featured a missing-man formation flyover by four F-15E Strike Eagles assigned to the 4th Fighter Wing, a reading of the Code of Conduct, a special presentation of the colors by the 4th Fighter Wing Honor Guard and base leadership, and remarks by Col. Mark Slocum, 4th FW commander.
"I believe I speak for all our service members when I say I am inspired by the fierce resolve, heroism and sacrifice of the generations of American POWs," Slocum said. "Their strength of character epitomizes our core value of service before self. These POWs were tortured, starved, denied basic human rights, and had no idea if their loved ones or country knew they were alive. The bond of their camaraderie is amazing, and every time I recite the Airman's Creed, their commitment to each other resonates in the words 'I will never leave an Airman behind.'"
Slocum concluded the ceremony by reiterating the wing's determination to never forget prisoners of war and service members missing in action.
"We promise to never stop looking, never forget, and we will do everything within our power to resolve the fate of our missing brothers in arms," Slocum said. "Today, I stand shoulder to shoulder with the Airmen of Team Seymour in our pledge to maintain a constant state of readiness to answer our nation's call. We deploy to provide close air and other types of support to protect service members like never before and ensure they return home and never become POWs and MIAs."
| Date Taken: | 09.19.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 11.06.2014 11:11 |
| Story ID: | 147173 |
| Location: | SEYMOUR JOHNSON AIR FORCE BASE, NC, US |
| Web Views: | 78 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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