Honoring our captured and missing heroes

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Dan DeCook
  • 11th Wing Public Affairs
World War II, Vietnam and the Korean War claimed many lives and saw huge numbers of America's heroes taken prisoner. National POW/MIA Day is held across the country on military installations, ships at sea, state capitals, schools and veterans' facilities to honor these heroes.

Bolling held its own special observance, which began with the sounding of reveille and the POW/MIA flag raising Sept. 19 at 7 a.m. After the flag raising, active-duty, reserve, national guard and retired military service members from the National Capital Region began reading names of those American heroes listed as prisoners of war and missing in action.

The morning started with Richard Eyermann, 30-year Air Force and Vietnam veteran, and Staff Sgt. Crystal Jimson reading 75 to 100 names in their assigned 15-minute block.

"I was honored to be able to come over here and take part in such a great ceremony," said Mr. Eyermann. "I ended up reading names of guys I served with in Vietnam."

Throughout the day, volunteers read more than 2,000 names and honored the men and women of our armed forces until 3 p.m., when the 11th Civil Engineering Squadron performed a retreat ceremony. The retreat ceremony took place at the Bolling flagpole and flights consisted of more than 200 members from 11th CES.