POW/MIA
Recognition Day is set aside to honor the commitment and the sacrifices
made by prisoners of war and those who are still missing in action, as
well as their families.
The recognition day is one of six days out of the year that
Congress has mandated flying the black POW/MIA flag over federal
facilities and cemeteries, post offices and military installations. The
other days are Armed Forces Day, Memorial Day, Flag Day, Independence
Day and Veterans Day.
By custom, POW/MIA Recognition Day usually is observed in Pentagon
ceremonies on the third Friday in September. However, it has
been moved in the past to avoid conflicts with religious observances.
Consequently, this year's ceremony will be
observed on a Tuesday, Sept. 14, out of respect for the Jewish
holiday of Rosh Hashanah.
POW / MIA Day 2004 Poster
By
Rudi Williams
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, July 14, 2004 -- "As the poster is unveiled, you will see
the flag of freedom -- the American flag -- flying proudly. Its
presence underscores our commitment, our pledge -- our solemn pledge --
to account for our missing wherever it takes us."
That's what Jerry D. Jennings,
deputy assistant secretary of defense for prisoner of war and missing
personnel affairs, told the audience during the recent unveiling of the
2004 National POW/MIA Recognition Day poster. The ceremony was held
during the annual government briefing to families of service members
missing in Southeast Asia, at the Crystal City Hilton Hotel in
Arlington, Va.
In describing the poster's
design, Jennings said, "You will see our fellow servicemen, once held
in captivity, now awaiting their freedom.
"You will see a stark
silhouette of men at war today … atop a tank, with the somber black
POW/MIA flag fluttering from the antenna," Jennings continued. "This
flag reminds us all of the nation's promise to warriors past and
present: We will bring you home.
"In the faces of the POWs we
see the pain of uncertainty, yet defiance," Jennings noted. "Many seem
to be asking, 'When are you coming?' (This is) symbolic of the more
than 88,000 who remain unaccounted for from all conflicts.
The images span the decades,
Jennings said. "They span the conflicts in which dedicated Americans
have gone into harm's way. They speak of today's warrior on today's
battlefields. They are drawn together, though, in these stark images."
He said the words "Wherever it
takes us; however long it takes; whatever the cost" are a "solemn
pledge."
Larry Greer, spokesman for the
POW/Missing Personnel Office, said his organization has already started
to receive requests for the poster. However, he added, veteran's
organizations and military units are getting automatic distribution of
the poster, as they do each year.
If organizations don't get
enough posters through normal channels, they can request additional
copies through Greer's office, he said. The poster also can be
downloaded from the office's the Web site..
Greer noted that 142,000
posters were printed this year.
POW/MIA Recognition Day is set
aside to honor the commitment and the sacrifices made by prisoners of
war and those who are still missing in action, as well as their
families.
The recognition day is one of
six days out of the year that Congress has mandated flying the black
POW/MIA flag over federal facilities and cemeteries, post offices and
military installations. The other days are Armed Forces Day, Memorial
Day, Flag Day, Independence Day and Veterans Day.
By custom, POW/MIA Recognition
Day usually is observed in Pentagon ceremonies on the third Friday in
September. However, it has been moved in the past to avoid conflicts
with religious observances. Consequently, this year's ceremony will be
observed on a Tuesday, Sept. 14, out of respect for the Jewish holiday
of Rosh Hashanah.
