Remembering those fallen, missing in action

  • Published
  • By Airman Ryan Conroy
  • 31st Fighter Wing Public Affairs
AVIANO AIR BASE, Italy --  As the solemn notes of 'Taps' resonated through the base during a retreat ceremony Oct. 3, Aviano capped off a week of commemoration for those who are missing or captured while serving their country.

Brig. Gen. Jon Norman, 31st Fighter Wing commander and Col. Valentino Savoldi, Pagliano e Gori Airport commander, attended the retreat ceremony. Norman began the ceremony by discussing the representation of the Prisoners of war/Missing in action flag that was raised for the week.

"On the bottom of the flag there is an inscription that states, 'You are not forgotten,'" said Norman. "Today, we reaffirm that sacred pledge. We voice our unending support and our undying promise that no matter how long it takes, no matter what it takes, we will not stop until we have brought every American home. We will leave no one behind."

The week of remembrance, sponsored by the Air Force Sergeants Association, began with members of the base honor guard hoisting a POW/MIA memorial flag during a reveille formation Sept. 30. On Oct. 1, Airmen stood at the entrance of the Aviano Exchange, reading the names of service members missing in action and ringing a brass bell for each one. From Oct. 2-3, volunteers ran approximately 150 miles as part of a 24-hour vigil run.

"It is important to remember POWs and MIAs because they are too often forgotten," said Master Sgt. Jenny Green, 31st Fighter Wing legal office NCO in charge of general law. "Service members go out and fight battles and when they return, they are recognized as heroes. The POWs and MIAs are those same heroes but they just haven't returned yet to receive their recognition. We always need to keep them in mind, that even though they aren't physically with us, they are fighting the same battle to protect us and they deserve to be called heroes."

Preceding the retreat ceremony, more than 60 volunteers in full military protective gear walked 10 kilometers around the base perimeter as part of POW/MIA ruck march.

Since World War 2, more than 80,000 service members are still unaccounted for from past American conflicts. Currently, America is in a sustained effort to achieve the fullest possible accounting of missing service members by locating, recovering and repatriating their remains.

"No other country has dedicated so much time and so much energy to account for their fallen," said Norman. "We do this because we believe that every life is precious. Those who put their lives on the line for this country need to know we will spare no effort to bring them home."