HANSCOM AIR FORCE BASE, Mass. – Members of the Hanscom community honored the sacrifice and service of prisoners of war, those who are still missing in action, and their families during a ceremony at the POW/MIA memorial here, Sept. 19.
Established in 1979, National POW/MIA Recognition Day is observed on the third Friday of September, and helps ensure those held prisoner of war or missing in action will never be forgotten.
Capt. Christopher Congemi, 66th Medical Squadron general clinical dentist and master of ceremonies for the event, highlighted the first article of the Armed Forces Code of Conduct, which states, “I am an American, fighting in the forces which guard my country and our way of life. I am prepared to give my life in their defense.”
“Most of us have never known the reality of being a prisoner of war, but we’re here today to remember the Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines who have,” he said.
During the ceremony, Chief Master Sgt. Michael Daly, 66th Security Forces Squadron manager, lit a candle at the base of the POW/MIA memorial to symbolize the ongoing search for unrecovered service members.
“We must recommit ourselves to fulfilling our promise of making every effort to bring our men and women home to their families,” he said.
Daly said the members who had yet to return home were a constant reminder to him throughout his numerous deployments over 25 years of service.
“Every time we broke wire, guarded an entry point or a ship pushed out from port, we knew the potential was there, and things could go bad,” he said. “But we shared a silent confidence that there would always be those who would never stop trying to find us and bring us home.”
Following the ceremony, the Air Force Sergeants Association Chapter 161 carried the American and POW/MIA flags to the base track and began a 12-hour vigil of running the flags continuously. At the top of each hour, the names of prisoners of war and those believed to still be missing were read out loud.
According to the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, the remains of seven service members have recently been recovered and returned to their families stateside.
“We can never stop searching,” he said.