Veterans pay tribute during 10th POW/MIA Vietnam program
CONNELLSVILLE – Numerous veterans gathered Saturday afternoon to pay tribute to colleagues who went off to serve their country and never returned. The 10th annual Prisoner of War/Missing in Action (POW/MIA) Vietnam program was held at the Connellsville Veteran Plaza, adjacent to the city municipal building on Arch Street, and featured various speakers and music from the Molinaro Band. The hour-long ceremony included Don Burkholder, president of the Connellsville Veterans Commission, reading the names of all 50 Fayette County soldiers killed while serving their country during the Vietnam War. After each name, date of death and hometown was recited, there was a tap on a bell.
The ceremony also included the “Missing Man Table and Honors Ceremony.” Master of ceremonies Gerald Browell explained each of the additions to the table and their meaning, such as an empty chair. “The chair is empty, there are not here and they may never return,” Browell said. The table also includes a white tablecloth, red rose, lemon, red ribbon, salt, an inverted glass and a candle.
Keynote speaker James Emery, a Vietnam War veteran and American Legion Post 301 senior vice commander, said when he was first asked to speak more than a month ago, he wondered what he would say about being a prisoner of war because it was something he never experienced. “I was fortunate, I got shot and got out of Vietnam. I didn’t have to worry about being captured,” Emery said. He said he only knows what he feels in his heart and head, theorizing that when the soldiers were captured that would think they may never have a meal with their family again or see their children or grandchildren.
Emery said there are still 1,805 POW/MIA soldiers who served in Vietnam. Also, he said there were 78,000 soldiers unaccounted for after World War II and 8,104 POW/MIA soldiers from the Korean War. Emery said four times a year a group of 95 personnel travel to Vietnam to investigate and excavate sites for remains and the 85th trek was made earlier this year. “We are still trying to find these people,” Emery said. “Hopefully one day we can recover all the remains.” Emery said after the conclusion of the Vietnam War, there were 2,583 POW/MIA soldiers, and as of May 1 that figure stands at 1,805.
Also as part of the program, the names of the 96 servicemen from Pennsylvania that are still unaccounted for were read. As each name and hometown were read, an audience representative from the Rolling Thunder motorcycle group rose, responded, “unaccounted for sir,” saluted and sat down.
The program also featured a rifle salute, the playing of “Taps,” “Amazing Grace” and other musical selections from the Molinaro Band. The Rev. Joseph Wingrove, pastor of the Breakneck Church of God, gave opening and closing prayers.
The event is held every year as a way to ensure the soldiers are not forgotten.