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Shaw commemorates POW/MIA Recognition Day

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Diana M. Cossaboom
  • 20th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
SHAW AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. --  Team Shaw Airmen and Soldiers commemorated prisoners of war and missing in action personnel during a 24-hour POW/MIA Recognition Day vigil run and a ceremony held at Memorial Lake, here, Sept.18.

"It is a time to reflect upon all of those individuals who were either prisoners of war or missing in action during various times of war," said Master Sgt. Jessica Hildebrand, 20th Communications Squadron wing cyber security office section chief.

According to the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, there are still more than 83,000 military personnel unaccounted for from past conflicts.

The guest speaker was William Pebley, a former POW during World War II who is currently the American Ex-Prisoners of War state commander.

"(I) feel that people, especially young people, need to know what we went through," said Pebley. "We call it the greatest generation. It wasn't just great because of what we did over there; it was what we did when we came home."

Pebley was deployed to Marcei, France, in 1944 to assist in fighting the war and was taken POW during conflict.

"Out of the 144,000 captured in World War II, (around) 14,000 didn't come back," said Pebley.

The goal of the ceremony is to give back to those who paid the ultimate sacrifice, those who are still missing, and those who have made it home but had to endure those situations, said Hildebrand.

With military personnel still missing from more than five conflicts, the Department of Defense created a separate agency, the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, whose mission is to find those who are still missing.

The Air Force Sergeants Association, Chapter 377, sponsored and organized the POW/MIA Remembrance Day vigil run and ceremony.

Military personnel past and present spend this day to remember and recognize those who never came home, as well as those who did, but endured horrific situations to ensure the safety of United States citizens and success of the United States military.