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BREMERTON, Wash. - Active duty, reserve, and retired service members, military family members, and civilians attended a ceremony to commemorate Prisoner of War/Missing in Action (POW/MIA) Recognition Day, at Naval Base Kitsap-Bremerton, Sept. 18.
Established in 1998, POW/MIA Recognition Day honors those who were prisoners of war and those who are still missing in action.
“Ensuring that those who are missing are brought home is important to the healing for families and communities. It’s also vital to our comrades-in-arms,” said Capt. Alan Schrader, Naval Base Kitsap commanding officer, during a speech to those in attendance. “POW/MIA Recognition Day is a day of remembrance, however, many people do not know that the day exists, and it’s not even listed on many calendars.”
During the ceremony, a POW/MIA flag was hoisted in front of Naval Base Kitsap-Bremerton headquarters. POW/MIA Recognition Day is one of six days of the year that federal law requires the POW/MIA flag be flown at all locations designated by the Secretary of Defense.
“Each prisoner of war, Soldier, Sailor, Airman, or Marine who is still missing in action has a common bond with every other veteran, reservist, and active-duty military person,” said Schrader. “Recovering a fallen service member sends a clear signal that others will not be abandoned. They made a commitment to us, and we make a commitment to them.”
Schrader recounted for the crowd the stories of four recently located and identified prisoners of war -- solemn reminders that more than 80,000 service members, from conflicts dating back to WWII, are still unaccounted for.
“Today we honor those who took an oath and were tragically lost in battle, their final resting place known only to God,” said Schrader. “We also honor those who were held in captivity, some of whom suffered for years at the hands of their captors. They were uncertain of their future. They never forgot who they were, defenders of our freedom, and we, the United States of America, the greatest nation on earth, will never forget them.”
| Date Taken: | 09.18.2017 |
| Date Posted: | 09.19.2017 21:59 |
| Story ID: | 248910 |
| Location: | BREMERTON, WA, US |
| Web Views: | 91 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Naval Base Kitsap Observes POW/MIA Remembrance Day, by PO1 Ryan Batchelder, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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