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POW/MIA Recognition Day in Sonoma County
This countywide event serves to remind POW/MIA, their families and the general public that they are not forgotten.
National POW/MIA Recognition Day
Observance in Sonoma County sponsored by American Legion Sotoyome Post 111
Hosted By Santa Rosa Memorial Park
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10 a.m. Friday, September 16, 2016
Veterans Lawn, Santa Rosa Memorial Park
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1900 Franklin Avenue, Santa Rosa, CA 95404
All Welcome. Free
The public is invited to attend a special National POW/MIA Recognition Day tribute this month in Santa Rosa. The free event will be held at 10 a.m. September 16 at Santa Rosa Memorial Park, 1900 Franklin Avenue in Santa Rosa.
In the United States, National POW/MIA Recognition Day is observed on the third Friday in September. It honors those who were prisoners of war and those who are still missing in action as well as their families. This day was established by an Act of Congress, by the passage of Section 1082 of the 1998 Defense Authorization Act.
According to the Defense Department's POW/MIA Office as of April 2009, there are 1,741 American personnel as missing and unaccounted for from the Vietnam War. The number of United States personnel accounted for since the end of the Vietnam War in 1975 is 841. About 90 percent of the 1,741 people still missing were lost in Vietnam or areas of Laos and Cambodia under Vietnam's wartime control, according to the National League of Families.
The highlight of this year’s Santa Rosa event is the table ceremony. It is a solemn reminder of American military personnel and civilians who are missing. It also represents our concerns and hopes for them and their families. Other features include Post 111 Honor Guard Presenting of Colors, a performance of ‘Bring Him Home’ (Les Miserables) by Performing Arts Academy, Invocation/Benediction, TAPS, and more.
Special guests include several WWII Prisoners of War: Darrel Shumard and Jean Marie Heskett. Speakers include American Legion Sotoyome Commander Lance Ballenger, US Congressman Mike Thompson, California Senator Mike McGuire, and Sonoma County Supervisor Shirley Zane.
“We want our POW/MIA servicemen and women and their families to know they are not forgotten,” said Tim Maloney, Santa Rosa Memorial Park General Manager. Santa Rosa Memorial Park is home to the largest POW/MIA memorial monument north of Riverside, Ca.
For more information, call 707-542-1580.
