COLUMBUS AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. -- COLUMBUS AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. – The 14th Flying Training Wing held a 24-hour memorial run for Prisoners of War (POW) and Missing in Action (MIA) service members on the 14th and 15th of September.
POW/MIA memorial events are observed at military installations world-wide annually. The events remind service members of the sacrifices and resiliency of their predecessors.
“We’re remembering those who have fallen because they came before us, served honorably and did some amazing things on behalf of our country,” said Col. Jonathan B. Cato 14th Flying Training Wing vice commander. “I think young Airmen should know that the service members who came before us did amazing things to ensure that our country was unified.”
Former President Jimmy Carter established the third Friday in September as a specific time to remember the sacrifices of POW/MIA service members.
“To me, the significance of the run is seeing so many people come together to honor the sacrifices our POWs and MIAs made,” said SSgt Lloyd N. Postell Jr 48th FTS SARM NCOIC. “It’s a visual example that their sacrifice will always be honored and never forgotten.”
Approximately 90 volunteers participated in the 24-hour vigil run to ensure the POW/MIA flag would be in constant motion around the base track.
“During my portion of the run I was thinking about the sacrifices all those members made for us and how much courage it must have taken them to endure all they’ve gone through,” said Postell. “I hope a key take-away that our volunteers can receive is the realization of just how fortunate and lucky we are to be where we are today, thanks to those brave service members.”
40th President of the United States of America, Ronald Reagan was quoted as saying, “We will always remember. We will always be proud. We will always be prepared, so we will always be free.”