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Remembering POW/MIAs

  • Published
  • By Airman Nicole Sikorski
  • 20th Fighter Wing/Public Affairs
SHAW AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. --  Airmen at Shaw celebrated the national Prisoner of War/ Missing in Action-day by participating in a 24-hour run and listening to guest speaker, Senior Master. Sgt. retired Kenneth Frank Duffy Sept. 20 to 21 here.

National POW/MIA Recognition Day is held annually across the country at state capitals, military installations, ships at sea, schools and veteran facilities. The POW/MIA flag has been flown on the third Friday in September every year since 1979, when the United States Congress passed a bill marking the day as a celebration of those who made the ultimate sacrifice.

There are currently more than 83,000 Americans who are missing from World War II, the Korean War, the Cold War, the Vietnam War and the Gulf War.
Bringing tears to his eyes, Duffy told the story of his life-changing experience as a POW to Airmen at Shaw.

During his presentation, Duffy spoke about the aircraft he was traveling in with his unit that was shot down upon their decent into Germany. After he had egressed from the aircraft with another soldier by parachute, he was taken captive by the German military and taken to a camp in Krems, Austria.

The POWs in the camp were each given a cell which contained a board and two chains to sleep on. The first meal Duffy ate at the camp was infested with maggots. Later he learned that the protein enriched larvi were the only means to sustain his life, and so he had to eat them.

"I have numb legs, because the German guards would (hit us)," said Duffy. "I didn't get any kind of (compensation for being a POW) until 1960. Doctors finally discovered that I had post traumatic stress disorder. Conditions for POW's have improved tremendously. Nowadays I can't complain about the medical treatment given by the Veterans Administration."

Showing their appreciation to prior POWs like Duffy, Airmen from Team Shaw ran for 24 hours, which symbolized the United State's perseverance searching for POW and MIA heroes such as Duffy.

"Each Airman that dedicated their time to participate in these events showed a tremendous amount of selflessness to this significant day. It does not go unappreciated," said Tech. Sgt. Thyiatira Singleton, Airman Leadership School instructor.

According to Singleton, the importance of the POW/MIA vigil is to keep watch over the flags. It symbolizes that we will not leave, we will not give up and we will always honor the men and women who have sacrificed their lives for our freedom.