ROCKWALL, TX – September 18, 2020 —”Lest we forget.” That’s a phrase often used in memorials for fallen soldiers and those lost in war. Today, we remember those soldiers who are M.I.A., the prisoners of war who will never have the chance to tell their families goodbye.
The Terry Fisher American Legion Post 117 of Rockwall joined city and county officials and community members in a National POW/MIA Recognition Day ceremony this morning at the Veterans Memorial of the Rockwall County Courthouse. The event honored the 81,900 Americans who are missing an unaccounted for in World War II and all conflicts since. Of those missing, around 75 percent of them are located in the Asia/Pacific region, with more than 41,000 of them lost or missing at sea and will never return home.
“The hardship experienced by those prisoners of war and the family members of those who have gone missing in action is unimaginable to most Americans,” said Post 117 Vice Commander K.C. Ashmore. “It is our country’s solemn obligation to bring these heroes back home, and to support the families who each day carry on without knowing the peace of being united with their loved ones. 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 never to leave anyone behind.”
Rockwall County Commissioner and Post 117 member Lee Gilbert spoke of how the lives of those nearly 82,000 MIAs and POWs have affected just as many, if not more, lives; the lives of their loved ones, family and comrades.
“‘Lest we forget.’ Let us gather here today, even as a small group, to never forget those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our country,” Gilbert said.
Story and photos by Austin Wells, Blue Ribbon News.
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Rockwall County remembers veterans missing in action on National POW/MIA Recognition Day added by Austin on
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