COLUMBUS, Ind. – The local POW/MIA Recognition Day Ceremony is scheduled for next Friday, September 16, at 6:30 p.m., at the Bartholomew County Memorial for Veterans. The memorial is located behind the courthouse and the event will take place rain or shine.
The ceremony lasts about 45 minutes. A reading will take place of the 55 names of the area service men and women that were either declared POW, MIA, or both. The special guest speakers will be Sandra LaBarbera and her brother, Ernest Walke Jr. Their father, Ernest Walke Sr., helped liberate Paris in WWII and was later captured by the Nazis.
Robert Miller, USA Vietnam (’67-’68), is leading and organizing the local POW/MIA Recognition Day ceremony. He says, “You are not forgotten is not a slogan, it is a mission.” If you have questions or want to help with the event, call Robert at 856-981-7828 or email him at Robert_D_Miller@yahoo.com.
Miller added, “Everyone in our community should be given the opportunity to pause for a moment to honor and remember those who have given so much for our freedom. Over 80,000 military personnel remain unaccounted for since WWII. Their families still wait for their return.