Dyess honors service members as part of national POW/MIA recognition day

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Rebecca Van Syoc
  • 7th Bomb Wing Public Affairs
DYESS AIR FORCE BASE, Texas --  U.S. military service members listed as prisoners of war or missing in action were honored by Dyess Airmen with a POW/MIA flag-carrying ceremony Sept. 16, at the Dyess Linear Air Park.

The ceremony was held in conjunction with the national POW/MIA recognition day, declared to be on the 16th of September.

“The men and women of our Armed Forces face unthinkable conditions and bear the painful cost of war,” said President Barack Obama, as part of his presidential proclamation. “Theirs is a debt we can never fully repay, though we will continue striving to remain worthy of their sacrifice. In honor of those who have not yet come home, and the families who struggle with the fear of unknown fate, we renew our fierce commitment to our patriots in uniform and pledge to do everything we can to bring those missing or held prisoner home.”

The ceremony consisted of formations of five Airmen marching from one end of the air park to the other while displaying the POW/MIA flag. The ceremony began at 7 a.m. and continued until the playing of retreat, a traditional call signifying the end of the day, at 5 p.m.

“This day brings sadness but hope that we can be there for the families who lost their loved ones,” said Shara Jones, Air Force veteran. “That’s one thing I love about being at Dyess. We’re a family who supports each other.”

The original POW/MIA flag was designed by military spouse Michael Hoff and Annin advertising agency employee Newt Heisley during the Vietnam War, according to the National League of POW/MIA Families. The flag was to serve as a symbol for U.S. military service members declared prisoners of war or missing in action, and was even designed with no copyright or trademark to promote widespread use of the flag without legal restrictions.

“While marching behind the POW/MIA flag, I said thank you to those who served before me,” said Airman 1st Class Donavan Merrill, 317th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron command support staff journeyman. “These aircraft are here, yet many people who flew and worked on them never came back home.”

Dyess Airmen banded together during this ceremony, remembering the sacrifice of those who served before them and embracing the POW/MIA motto of: “You are not forgotten.”