COLUMBUS, Ind. - The National POW/MIA Recognition Day Ceremony in Columbus is this Friday, September 18, at 6:30 p.m., at the Bartholomew County Memorial for Veterans behind the Courthouse.
The hour-long observance will take place rain or shine. The program is presented each year to demonstrate that "You Are Not Forgotten."
Deb Kleinschmidt will ring a bell after the reading of the names of each of the 63 servicemen and servicewomen from the area who were either declared POW, MIA, or both.
This year's Special Guest Speaker is Guy Tedesco, who will also be involved in an event this weekend at the P.O.W. chapel, “Our Lady in the Meadow,” at Camp Atterbury. September 20 is a National Day of Remembrance in Italy for Italian soldiers captured by the German army and executed for not being willing to fight Allied forces. Tedesco's uncle was one of these soldiers. He was tortured to death in a concentration camp.
Other participants in Friday's ceremony include:
- Columbus Indiana Children’s Choir
- Zack Ellison (Marine Veteran) - Emcee
- Matthew Piller - National Anthem
- Pastor Harvey Leggett (Former Marine) - Invocation/vocalist
- Chris Fitzsimmons (Iraq War Veteran) - Reading of POW-MIA names
- Michael Schmelz - Bugler
- Bartholomew County Honor Guard
- Southern Indiana Pipes and Drums
- Mike Asher (Midnight Express Entertainment) - Music and sound
Over 80,000 U.S. Military personnel remain unaccounted for since WWII. Their families still wait for their return. “You Are Not Forgotten” is not a slogan; it’s a mission.
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