NATIONAL LEAGUE OF FAMILIES
OF AMERICAN PRISONERS AND MISSING IN SOUTHEAST ASIA
1005 NORTH GLEBE ROAD, SUITE 170, ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA 22201
PH (703) 465-7432 www.powmialeague.org FAX (703) 465-7433
January 16, 2008
As you entered the dining area, you may have noticed a table Ð raised to call your attention to its purpose Ð it is reserved to honor our missing loved one.
Set for six, the empty places represent Americans who were or are missing from each of the five services Ð Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, Coast Guard Ð and civilians, all with us in spirit.
Some here were very young when the Vietnam War began; however, all Americans should never forget the brave men and women who answered our nation’s call and served the cause of freedom in a special way.
Please be seatedÉ while I explain the meaning of this special table, and join me for a moment of silent prayer at the end.
The table is round Ð to show our everlasting concern.
The cloth is white Ð symbolizing the purity of their motives when answering the call to duty.
The single red rose reminds us of the lives of these menÉ.and their loved ones and friends who keep the faith, while seeking answers.
The red ribbon symbolizes our continued determination to account for them.
A slice of lemon reminds us of the bitter fate of those captured and missing in a foreign land.
A pinch of salt symbolizes the tears of our missing and their families who long for answers after decades of uncertainty.
The Bible represents the strength gained through faith in our country, founded as one nation under God, to sustain those lost from our midst.
The glass is inverted Ð to symbolize their inability to share this evening’s toast.
The chairs are empty Ð they are missingÉÉÉÉÉ.. (silent moment)
Let us now raise our water glasses in a toast to honor America’s POW/MIA’s and to the success of our efforts to account for them.