September, 15, 2006, POW/MIA Recognition Day
Many of you already know I wear a stainless steel bracelet that has "GYSGT GALEN F. HUMPHREY USMC 02-01-66 NVN/OW" engraved on it. When I first decided I wanted to wear a POW/MIA bracelet (several years ago) I ask for one with the name of someone from the Saint Joseph, Missouri (my home) area on it. I was told that GYSGT Humphrey was the only person from the area that had served in Vietnam that was still unaccounted for. Since that time I've had the privilege of meeting several of his family members. That makes my bracelet mean even more to me. It will stay on my wrist until the United States Government provides his family (and the rest of us that care) with undeniable proof that he is no longer alive. In my opinion this proof has not been provided as of yet. As you can see here the United States has left many behind after a conflict/war ends. Staff Sergeant Keith "Matt" Maupin has been promoted three times since April 9, 2004. That was the day he went missing near Baghdad, Iraq. Lets hope and pray that he gets the chance to come home and wear the new stripes that he has no doubt earned many times over since he was taken prisoner. National POW/MIA Recognition Day (the third Friday of September) falls on September 15th this year. It is a day that has been set aside to remember all of the POW's/MIA's that the United States has left behind. I think that the POW/MIA Flag that I fly and my bracelet show that I choose to remember them every day. This 9/13/06 St. Joseph News-Press article tells about a section of Interstate 35 that will help others do that.
"9/13/2006
Section of I-35 to honor POW/MIA
Former prisoners to speak
St. Joseph News-Press
Kearney, Mo.- The public is invited to participate in the first of two ceremonies that will dedicate a portion of Interstate 35 as "POW/MIA Memorial Highway."
The first ceremony will be at the Kearney High School auditorium ay 1 p.m. Saturday. Retired Lt. Col. Barry Bridger, U.S. Air Force, will speak at the Kearney dedication. He was Capt. Bridger in 1967 when his F-4 Phantom jet was shot down over North Vietnam, remaining a prisoner in Hanoi until 1973. Mr. Bridger will speak about surviving captivity and torture in addition to finding courage, discipline and success in the face of adversity.
The second dedication ceremony will take place at 2 p.m. Oct. 7, at the Missouri Veterans Home located in Cameron, Mo., with Frank Mattivi as guest speaker. Mr. Mattivi was one of the original "Darby's Rangers," trained by British Commandos during World War II. He and his fellow Commandos were captured behind enemy lines during the Allied landing at Anzio Beach. Their mission was to parachute behind enemy lines and cut off a supply route. Although their mission was successful, they ran out of ammunition and threw rocks at the enemy until they were captured. Mr. Mattivi spent almost a year and a half in three different German stalags before he was released by Allied forces.
The "POW/MIA Memorial Highway" section is located half a mile south of Bethany to half a mile north of Kearney in Missouri encompassing Harrison, Daviess, DeKalb, Clinton and Clay counties. National POW/MIA Recognition Day is Friday."
This Friday, September 15, 2006 I hope you will take a little time to think about the one's that answered the call to serve their country and were left behind when the war/conflict ended, those that are "Gone But Not Forgotten". Say a prayer for them and their families. Visit some of the sites that keep us up to date on POW/MIA issues. While your there be sure to click on their Links to get even more information.
The P.O.W. NETWORK
The National Alliance Of Families
THE U.S. VETERAN DISPATCH
AII POW-MIA InterNetwork
Who knows, maybe you'll find something interesting enough to get you to keep coming back to those sites. I hope it will give you a reason to start flying a POW/MIA Flag or wearing a POW/MIA bracelet. Better yet, maybe it will get you to contact your elected officials and demand that they tell the POW/MIA families the truth about their loved ones. Urge them to make an honest effort to bring ALL of our POW's/MIA's or their remains home. God bless each and every one of the missing.
God Bless America, God Save The Republic.
"9/13/2006
Section of I-35 to honor POW/MIA
Former prisoners to speak
St. Joseph News-Press
Kearney, Mo.- The public is invited to participate in the first of two ceremonies that will dedicate a portion of Interstate 35 as "POW/MIA Memorial Highway."
The first ceremony will be at the Kearney High School auditorium ay 1 p.m. Saturday. Retired Lt. Col. Barry Bridger, U.S. Air Force, will speak at the Kearney dedication. He was Capt. Bridger in 1967 when his F-4 Phantom jet was shot down over North Vietnam, remaining a prisoner in Hanoi until 1973. Mr. Bridger will speak about surviving captivity and torture in addition to finding courage, discipline and success in the face of adversity.
The second dedication ceremony will take place at 2 p.m. Oct. 7, at the Missouri Veterans Home located in Cameron, Mo., with Frank Mattivi as guest speaker. Mr. Mattivi was one of the original "Darby's Rangers," trained by British Commandos during World War II. He and his fellow Commandos were captured behind enemy lines during the Allied landing at Anzio Beach. Their mission was to parachute behind enemy lines and cut off a supply route. Although their mission was successful, they ran out of ammunition and threw rocks at the enemy until they were captured. Mr. Mattivi spent almost a year and a half in three different German stalags before he was released by Allied forces.
The "POW/MIA Memorial Highway" section is located half a mile south of Bethany to half a mile north of Kearney in Missouri encompassing Harrison, Daviess, DeKalb, Clinton and Clay counties. National POW/MIA Recognition Day is Friday."
This Friday, September 15, 2006 I hope you will take a little time to think about the one's that answered the call to serve their country and were left behind when the war/conflict ended, those that are "Gone But Not Forgotten". Say a prayer for them and their families. Visit some of the sites that keep us up to date on POW/MIA issues. While your there be sure to click on their Links to get even more information.
The P.O.W. NETWORK
The National Alliance Of Families
THE U.S. VETERAN DISPATCH
AII POW-MIA InterNetwork
Who knows, maybe you'll find something interesting enough to get you to keep coming back to those sites. I hope it will give you a reason to start flying a POW/MIA Flag or wearing a POW/MIA bracelet. Better yet, maybe it will get you to contact your elected officials and demand that they tell the POW/MIA families the truth about their loved ones. Urge them to make an honest effort to bring ALL of our POW's/MIA's or their remains home. God bless each and every one of the missing.
God Bless America, God Save The Republic.
posted by David Schantz | 5:41 PM
4 Comments:
Thank you for writing this. I wasn't aware of POW Recognition Day. The Arlington West memorial is here in Bakersfield this week. They never tell us about the MIAS in Iraq or Afganistan do they?
To be honest my guess about the MIAs of Vietnam is they were tortured to death, then the N. Vietnamese got rid of their bodies so know one would find out what they did.
*No one
In 2013... there's a report that MIA Master Sergeant John Hartley Robertson has found in Vietnam. But the DNA test in 2014... it's just an imposter.
Post a Comment
<< Home