HOLLOMAN AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. -- Holloman Air Force Base honored the service members who were prisoners of war and those missing in action with a 24 hour vigil and run, September 14 - 15.
“There is no better occasion to come together than to commemorate prisoners of war and those missing in action,” said Col. Houston Cantwell, 49th Wing commander. “I am proud to show these men and women the respect and honor they deserve.”
The vigil included a ceremony with a roll of honors naming a few of those missing in action from New Mexico, followed by a speech about the importance of POW/MIA remembrance presented by retired Air Force Chief Master Sgt., Richard McElderry.
“There are 1,741 service members listed by the Department of Defense POW/MIA office as missing or unaccounted for from the Vietnam War as of April 2009,” said McElderry. “Because we are the United States Military we take time at special events to remember the service of our comrades in arms. They have paid the ultimate price that we cannot begin to imagine.”
For 24 hours straight, 635th Materiel Maintenance Airmen took turns standing vigil and making sure the eternal flame remained lit -- as a symbol that the POWs and MIAs of today and the past are never forgotten.