Video: Dedication of POW/MIA table at D218 Miltary Ball

Last Saturday, November 19 the three JROTC programs in District 218 gathered for the eighth annual Military Ball. The event, which drew hundreds of students, features elements of a prom and a traditional military dance.

Perhaps the most poignant moment of the ball involves the carefully arranged the POW/MIA tribute table. All military balls feature an empty table set with one place setting for soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines who are prisoners of war or missing in action.

A student reads what each item at the table symbolizes. The chair remains empty, symbolizing the absence. A single red rose displayed in a vase serves as a reminder of the life of each missing person and their loved ones who keep faith while awaiting answers.

A red ribbon on the vase symbolizes the determination to account for those missing. An inverted glass represents their inability to share the evening's toast.