‘Until They Are Home’

“Prisoner of War, missing in action, gone but not forgotten!”

Held on the 3rd Friday each September since its entry into presidential proclamation on July 18, 1979, National POW/MIA Recognition Day honors US military men and women captured, killed and or missing in action from not only the Southeast Asian War, but those before and after. For many, the death or loss of a family member or loved one is hard enough when the answers to what lead to their fate are there for one to see, but when their condition and whereabouts bear questions unanswered even years later, it is doubly hard. Such is the case for many of our family , friends and loved ones who have courageously served our country throughout the years. Deemed foolish sacrificial lambs by some, brave war heroes by others, these summoned soldiers headed to the call of their government and stepped onto the battlefield knowing in their hearts that a return home was not certain. There is much to say about why we fight wars, and who the winners and losers are. Some would say America won many. Some would say otherwise. A wise man once said that in war, there are no winners or losers, for the price paid is deep and longstanding. We celebrate those who have found their way home, honor those who have given their lives, and pray for those still out on the battlefield, today and everyday. However you choose to celebrate our uniformed personnel, remember these humbling yet powerful words from a true revolutionary:

“An eye for an eye only makes the whole world blind.”

-Mahatma Ghandi