JOINT BASE LANGLEY-EUSTIS, Va. –
In acknowledgement of POW/MIA Recognition Day, observed Sept. 19, members of Joint Base Langley-Eustis will host several events to pay tribute to U.S. Service members held captive and still missing, Sept. 16 - 17.
According to the Defense Prisoner of War and Missing Personnel Office website, POW/MIA Recognition Day honors prisoners of war and those missing in action as well as their families, and highlights the government's commitment to account for them.
The following events will take place at Langley Air Force Base Sept. 16 - 17:
September 16
24-hour Memorial Run/Walk
A 24-hour run/walk around Langley Air Force Base will began at the Shellbank Fitness Center at 10 a.m., and will conclude at the POW/MIA memorial ceremony at 10 a.m., Sept. 17. To sign up, visit tinyurl.com/n96b3rr, or to volunteer, visit tinyurl.com/mcldhky. For more information, contact Tech. Sgt. Steven Walker at 764-3547 or steven.walker.9@us.af.mil or Tech. Sgt. Thomas Brandt at 225-7224 or thomas.brandt@us.af.mil.
POW Presentation
Retired Lt. Col. Barry Bridger will give a one-hour presentation detailing his experiences as a POW at the Hanoi Hilton prison camp in Vietnam. The event will take place at the base theater at 3 p.m. For more information, contact Master Sgt. James Niblock at 764-8857 or james.niblock@us.af.mil.
September 17
POW/MIA Commemoration Ceremony
Langley Air Force Base will host a POW/MIA memorial ceremony at Memorial Grove Park, located across from the U.S. Air Force Hospital Langley on Nealy Ave. The event will begin at 10 a.m. and feature guest speaker, retired Lt. Col. Barry Bridger, a former prisoner of war at the Hanoi Hilton prison camp in Vietnam. For more information, contact Tech. Sgt. Jhonathan Knuth at 225-5818 or jhonathan.knuth@us.af.mil, or Master Sgt. Eric Gebhardt at 225-6544 or eric.gebhardt@us.af.mil.
POW/MIA Luncheon
The Langley POW/MIA memorial committee will host a memorial luncheon at the Langley Club at 11 a.m. Event tickets are $15 and those interested must RSVP by Sept. 10. For more information, contact Staff Sgt. Tanisha Cole at 225-1725 or Master Sgt. Natasha Brantley at 764-8945. To register, visit einvitations.afit.edu/inv/anim.cfm?i=210167&k=006042087D50.
In addition to base events, the Green Knights Military Motorcycle Club Chapter 48 will lead a motorcycle escort for runners carrying the flag into the POW/MIA ceremony followed by a memorial ride off base on Sept. 17. The event starting point is the Langley Federal Credit Union parking lot at 9 a.m., and the ride will begin at 9:45 a.m. All volunteers and motorcycle types are welcome. For more information, contact the Green Knights by e-mail at GKMMC48@gmail.com or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/greenknightsmilitarymotorcycleclubchapter48.
"America remains steadfast in our determination to recover our missing patriots," President Barack Obama stated in a National POW/MIA Recognition Day proclamation. "Our work is not finished until our heroes are returned safely to our shores or a full accounting is provided to their loved ones. We must care for the men and women who have served so selflessly in our name, and we must carry forward the legacy of those whose fates are still unknown."