POW / MIA
My Marine husband David, and
my Marine son Dan, with their
POW/MIA flags
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE -- Prisoner of War / Missing Personnel Office
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LIBRARY OF CONGRESS -- Federal Research Division -- POW/MIA and POW Databases and Documents
http://www.loc.gov/rr/frd/powmia-home.html
ALPHABETICAL SITE DIRECTORY -- All Prisioners of War and All Missing In Action From All Wars -- Major Items Of Interest
http://www.aiipowmia.com/arkmnu.html
POW - MIA SEARCH
http://www.scopesys.com/powmia/powsearch.shtml
The POW/MIA Flag
(from the website of the US Department of Veterans Affairs)
In 1971, Mrs. Michael Hoff, the wife of a U.S. military officer listed as missing in action during the Vietnam War, developed the idea for a national flag to remind every American of the U.S. servicemembers whose fates were never accounted for during the war.
The black and white image of a gaunt silhouette, a strand of barbed wire and an ominous watchtower was designed by Newt Heisley, a former World War II pilot. Some claim the silhouette is a profile of Heisley’s son, who contracted hepatitis while training to go to Vietnam. The virus ravaged his body, leaving his features hallow and emaciated. They suggest that while staring at his son’s sunken features, Heisley saw the stark image of American servicemembers held captive under harsh conditions. Using a pencil, he sketched his son’s profile, creating the basis for a symbol that would come to have a powerful impact on the national conscience.
By the end of the Vietnam War, more than 2,500 servicemembers were listed by the Department of Defense as Prisoner of War (POW) or Missing in Action (MIA). In 1979, as families of the missing pressed for full accountability, Congress and the president proclaimed the first National POW/MIA Recognition Day to acknowledge the families’ concerns and symbolize the steadfast resolve of the American people to never forget the men and women who gave up their freedom protecting ours. Three years later, in 1982, the POW/MIA flag became the only flag other than the Stars and Stripes to fly over the White House in Washington, D.C.
On August 10, 1990, Congress officially passed U. S. Public Law 101-355, designating the POW/MIA flag: "The symbol of our Nation’s concern and commitment to resolving as fully as possible the fates of Americans still prisoner, missing and unaccounted for in Southeast Asia."
Displaying the POW/MIA Flag
Congress designated the third Friday of September as National POW/MIA Recognition Day and ordered prominent display of the POW/MIA flag on this day and several other national observances, including Armed Forces Day, Memorial Day, Flag Day, Independence Day and Veterans Day. The 1998 Defense Authorization Act (P.L. 105-85) mandates that on these national observances, the POW/MIA flag is to be flown over the White House, the U.S. Capitol, the Korean and Vietnam Veterans War Memorials, the offices of the Secretaries of State, Defense and Veterans Affairs, offices of the Director of the Selective Service System, every major military installation (as directed by the Secretary of Defense), every post office and all Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical centers and national cemeteries. The act also directs VA medical centers to fly the POW/MIA flag on any day on which the flag of the United States is displayed.
When displayed from a single flag pole, the POW/MIA flag should fly directly below, and be no larger than, the United States flag. If on separate poles, the U.S. flag should always be placed to the right of other flags. On the six national observances for which Congress has ordered display of the POW/ MIA flag, it is generally flown immediately below or adjacent to the United States flag as second in order of precedence.
POW/MIA Freedom Fighters
Who We Are
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Captain M. Scott Speicher
On January 17, 1991, America navy pilot, Lieutenant Commander Michael “Scott” Speicher, was shot down while flying a combat mission over western Iraq on the first night of Operation Desert Storm. His family, friends, and country took ever possible means to find him, never giving up hope for his return. Pictures were distributed to our children that were serving in the War on Terror in Iraq and websites were set up with vigils, information, messages, and prayers. On August 2, 2009, the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs) of the US Department of Defense announced that they had recovered the remains of Captain Speicher.
http://www.arlingtoncemetery.net/msspeicher.htm
http://8thwood.com/michael_scott_speicher.htm
http://photos.greasyonline.com/speicher
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scott_Speicher
THE WAR TODAY
Spc. Edgar Hernandez | 21 | 507th Maintenance Company | Mission, Texas | Was missing after an Iraqi ambush at Nasiriya on March 23, 2003. Rescued April 13, 2003, north of Baghdad. |
| Spc. Joseph Hudson | 23 | 507th Maintenance Company | Alamogordo, New Mexico | Was missing after an Iraqi ambush at Nasiriya on March 23, 2003. Rescued April 13, 2003, north of Baghdad. |
| Spc. Shoshana Johnson | 30 | 507th Maintenance Company | El Paso, Texas | Was missing after an Iraqi ambush at Nasiriya on March 23, 2003. Rescued April 13, 2003, north of Baghdad. |
| Pfc. Jessica Lynch | 19 | 507th Maintenance Company | Palestine, West Virginia | Was missing after an Iraqi ambush at Nasiriya on March 23, 2003. Rescued April 2, 2003, by U.S. troops from Saddam Hospital in Nasiriya. |
| Pfc. Patrick Miller | 23 | 507th Maintenance Company | Walter, Kansas | Was missing after an Iraqi ambush at Nasiriya on March 23, 2003. Rescued April 13, 2003, north of Baghdad. |
| Sgt. James Riley | 31 | 507th Maintenance Company | Pennsauken, New Jersey | Was missing after an Iraqi ambush at Nasiriya on March 23, 2003. Rescued April 13, 2003, north of Baghdad. |
| Chief Warrant Officer David S. Williams | 30 | Company C, 1st Battalion, 227th Aviation Regiment | Florida | Captured after his AH-64D Apache Longbow attack helicopter was shot down near Karbala, Iraq, on March 24, 2003. Rescued April 13, 2003, north of Baghdad. |
Chief Warrant Officer Ronald D. Young | 26 | Company C, 1st Battalion, 227th Aviation Regiment | Lithia Springs, Georgia | Captured after his AH-64D Apache Longbow attack helicopter was shot down near Karbala, Iraq, on March 24, 2003. Rescued April 13, 2003, north of Baghdad. |
Sgt. Matthew Maupin
Maupin's fuel convoy was attacked near Baghdad International Airport on April 9, 2004. A videotape broadcast by Al-Jazeera on April 16 showed Maupin being held hostage by Iraqi insurgents. The Pentagon later changed his status from MIA to captured. Maupin was promoted in absentia on May 1, 2004, from private first class to specialist. All held hope that Matt would return home safely and kept constant vigil for him until March 31, 2008, when we were told that SGT Maupin's remains had been found.
YELLOW RIBBON SUPPORT CENTER - His Parents Site
http://www.yellowribbonsupportcenter.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keith_Maupin
March 31, 2008 -- Sgt. Keith Matthew Maupin's Remains Found
March 31, 2008
Ohio Soldier's Remains Found in Iraq
BATAVIA, Ohio (AP) — Sgt. Keith Matthew Maupin's parents vowed to never let the U.S. Army forget about finding their son.
Their efforts included trips to the Pentagon and even meeting with President Bush, but they ended in disappointment Sunday: An Army general told them the remains of Maupin, a soldier who had been listed as missing-captured in Iraq since 2004, had been found.
"My heart sinks, but I know they can't hurt him anymore," Keith Maupin said after receiving word about the remains of his son, who went by Matt.
The Army was continuing its investigation, Maupin said.
That June, Al-Jazeera aired another tape purporting to show a U.S. soldier being shot. But the dark and grainy tape showed only the back of the victim's head and not the execution.
Keith Maupin said the Army told him soon after his son's capture that there was only a 50 percent chance he would be found alive. He said he doesn't hold the Army responsible for his son's death, but that he did hold the Army responsible for bringing his son home.
Keith Maupin and his ex-wife, Carolyn, held a candlelight vigil Sunday night outside the Yellow Ribbon Support Center in Batavia, an office they used to package thousands of boxes of donated snacks and toiletries for shipment to soldiers in Iraq.
"It hurts," Carolyn Maupin said. "After you go through almost four years of hope, and this is what happens, it's like a letdown, so I'm trying to get through that right now."
The Maupins were told by an Army official on Friday to expect an update on their son over the weekend, Keith Maupin said. The Army broke the news about their son's remains at a somber meeting.
Matt Maupin graduated from Glen Este High School, just east of Cincinnati, in 2001 and attended the University of Cincinnati for a year before joining the Army Reserves.
Dan Simmons, the athletic director at Glen Este, remembered him as a quiet but hardworking backup player on the school's football team.
"Matt was a selfless kid on the football field," Simmons said. "He did whatever the coaches told him. He wasn't a starter, but he made the other kids play harder."
A month after his capture, Maupin was promoted to the rank of specialist. In April 2005, he was promoted to sergeant.
Purchase National POW/MIA wreath pin: http://www.soldiercity.com/product-exec/product_id/2522
Purchase Connecticut POW/MIA wreath pin: http://www.soldiercity.com/product-exec/product_id/2918/affiliate_id/1280/keyword/2918
PLEASE REMEMBER
The Third Friday of The Month Of September
NATIONAL POW/MIA RECOGNITION DAY
http://www.dtic.mil/dpmo/powday/pow_rec_day_00.htm
Missing In Action, Prisoners Of War
Lord, I'm here to take a stand
For all those missing from our land
Missing in action, prisoners of war
Lord, bring them home to America once more.
When America needed them they were there
Lord, let us show them we care
It may not be an easy task
But let us bring them home at last.
Lord, put an end to all their turmoil
Bring back home to American soil
Missing in action, prisoners of war
Lord, bring them home to America once more.
~ Gloria J. Shuttlesworth ~
MISSING MAN TABLE & HONORS CEREMONY
Moderator:
As you entered the dining area, you may have noticed a table at the front, raised to call your attention to its purpose -- it is reserved to honor our missing loved ones [or missing comrades in arms, for veterans].
Set for six, the empty places represent Americans still [our men] missing from each of the five services -- Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, Coast Guard - and civilians. This Honors Ceremony symbolizes that they are with us, here in spirit.
Some [here] in this room were very young when they were sent into combat; however, all Americans should never forget the brave men and women who answered our nation's call [to serve] and served the cause of freedom in a special way.
I would like to ask you to stand, and remain standing for a moment of silent prayer, as the Honor Guard places the five service covers and a civilian cap on each empty plate.
Honor Guard:
(In silence or with dignified, quiet music as background, the Honor Guard moves into position around the table and simultaneously places the covers of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force and Coast Guard, and a civilian hat, on the dinner plate at each table setting. The Honor Guard then departs.)
Moderator:
Please be seated ....... I would like to explain the meaning of the items on this special table.
The table is round -- to show our everlasting concern for our missing men.
The tablecloth is white -- symbolizing the purity of their motives when answering the call to duty.
The single red rose, displayed in a vase, reminds us of the life of each of the missing, and the[ir] loved ones and friends of these Americans who keep the faith, awaiting answers.
The vase is tied with a red ribbon, symbol of our continued determination to account for our missing.
A slice of lemon on the bread plate is to remind us of the bitter fate of those captured and missing in a foreign land.
A pinch of salt symbolizes the tears endured by those missing and their families who seek answers.
The Bible represents the strength gained through faith to sustain those lost from our country, founded as one nation under God.
The glass is inverted -- to symbolize their inability to share this evening's [morning's/day's] toast.
The chairs are empty -- they are missing.
Let us now raise our water glasses in a toast to honor America's POW/MIAs and to the success of our efforts to account for them.
Courtesy of:
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I Hear Them Calling
I hear them calling in the night
When my world is calm and quiet.
They speak to me in words I would not hear
Yet their voices won't be silenced.
They beseech me with whispers
Asking, "Why were we left?"
They cannot understand.
The wind carries their questions.
The stars shine down as tears.
The moon becomes their faces.
And I have no answer worth speaking.
~ Dennis Johnson ~
POW / MIA RECOGNITION DAY
3rd Friday of September Each Year
Today, the third Friday of September, is observed annually in America as POW/MIA Recognition Day. From morning to evening, solemn ceremonies of remembrance are held throughout our country which pay homage to our wartime Armed Forces personnel who have been or are being held captive and to those who are missing in action.
The unknown fate of US servicemen missing in action from the Vietnam War and associated theaters of operation in Southeast Asia, was to bring forth US Public Law 101-355 on August 10, 1990. In said law, our 101st Congress designated the National League of POW/MIA Families' black POW/MIA Flag, "as the symbol of our Nation's concern and commitment to resolving as fully as possible the fates of Americans still prisoner, missing and unaccounted for in Southeast Asia, thus ending the uncertainty for their families and the Nation".
This flag now stands proud to honor and represent all POW/MIA of our nation from all U.S. wars, and it was flown today, Friday September 18, 2009, in ceremony after ceremony held by a grateful nation to honor our heroes who have sacrificed so much.
Our government has established the Defense Prisoner of War / Missing Personnel Office who oversee policies on the rescue of live soldiers and the recovery / identification of American remains. Please see their website for information: http://www.dtic.mil/dpmo/
Our Library of Congress has on public record our POW/MIA databases and documents: http://www.loc.gov/rr/frd/powmia-home.html
We have a Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command: http://www.jpac.pacom.mil/
Each year the President of the United States issues a proclamation for POW/MIA Remembrance Day.
You can view 2009 here: http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/Presidential-Proclamation-National-POW/MIA-Recognition-Day-2009/
We must never forget our brave men and women who have given so much that we might live free. Some still await today their journey home. Some, like the ex-prisoner of war that I heard speak today ~ forced to march 500 miles in the snow and ice, beaten and abused by guards, watching comrades fall to their death on the frozen ground ~ some, like him, never fully return..... And some, just never to be seen again.
Yes, we must remember ~ we must always remember! At present, there are an estimated 88,000 Americans still unaccounted for since WWII. Today we give special honor to them~ we remember ~ and we stand with their loved ones who still wait their return!
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This website is being worked on each day. Please check back often, as more pages will be added and more information placed on the pages that are here. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me. If you wish to have information added, make corrections, have comments, or find a link that no longer works, please let me know.
THANK YOU!
Please visit me on my other websites:
Women of Ministry / Women of Faith www.WomenofMinistryWomenofFaith.com
Faith and Life Ministries www.FaithandLifeMinistriesInternational.com
On the websites of those I am affiliated with:
Patriot Guard Riders www.PatriotGuard.org
Connecticut Patriot Guard Riders www.ctpatriotguard.org
Missing In America Project www.MIAP.us
VA Voluntary Service http://www.volunteer.va.gov/
Military Ministry http://www.militaryministry.org/
Christian Military Fellowship http://cmf.com/
VFW National Home For Children http://www.vfwnationalhome.org/
Post #296 VFW Ladies Auxiliary www.vfwpost296ladiesaux.com
Marine Corps League Auxiliary http://mcldeptct.org/pages/mcl_ct_auxiliary.html
American Soldier Memorial Project http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AmericanSoldierMemorial
No Soldier Left Behind Memorial http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NoSoldierLeftBehindMemorial/
JESUS My Lord and Savior Church www.JesusMyLordandSaviorChurch.com
Men Walking With God www.MenWalkingWithGod.com/