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Nation to observe POW/MIA day on Friday, September 15, 2023 | By James Maersch

Washington Co. WI – POW/MIA Observance Day is commemorated on the third Friday in September. It is the day we pay tribute to former prisoners of war and keep faith in our promise as a nation to bring all of our heroes home.

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Congress passed a resolution authorizing POW/MIA Recognition Day on July 18, 1979.  Each year the President issues a proclamation recognizing prisoners of war and those missing in action. At present, there are 81,900 members of the U.S. military missing or unaccounted for.

A candle remembrance is held at the Vietnam Memorial in Washington D.C.

The POW/MIA flag originated in 1971.  The black and white colors represent sorrow, anxiety, and hope.

In conjunction with POW/MIA is the “missing man table,” or Fallen Comrade Table. It is to remind us of those fallen, missing, or imprisoned U.S. military service members.

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Each year, LT Ray Dickop American Legion Post 36 of West Bend displays the “missing man table” at the West Bend Memorial Library. The table consists of eleven elements:

The white tablecloth:  purity.
The empty chair:  no specific person.
The round table: never-ending concern.
The Bible:  faith in a higher power.
The black napkin:  Heart’s emptiness.
The single red rose: family and loved ones.
The ribbon on the vase: love for our country.
The yellow candle: hope.
The slice of lemon: a bitter taste.
The salt on the bread plate: family’s tears.
The inverted wine glass: missing comrades.
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