COLUMBUS, Ind. – The local POW/MIA Recognition Day Ceremony is scheduled for Friday, September 20, at 6:30 p.m., at the Bartholomew County Memorial for Veterans. The memorial is located behind the courthouse and the event will take place rain or shine.
The ceremony lasts about 45 minutes. A reading will take place of the 55 names of area servicemen/servicewomen who were either declared POW, MIA, or both. The special guest speakers will be Chris Fitzsimmons (Iraq War Veteran) and Deb Kleinschmidt (Gold Star Mother).
The event will feature the American Legion Post #24 Honor Guard and the Columbus Indiana Children’s Choir singing the National Anthem.
Robert Miller, USA Vietnam (’67-’68), coordinates the local POW/MIA Recognition Day ceremony. The organization’s slogan is, “You are not forgotten.” But, Miller says, “You are not forgotten is not just a slogan, it is a mission.”
This marks the ceremony’s 10th anniversary. It allows everyone in the community the opportunity to pause for a moment to honor and remember those who have given so much for our freedom. Nationwide, over 80,000 military personnel remain unaccounted for since WWII. Their families still wait for their return.
