Remembrance service for POW-MIA soldiers scheduled in Littleton

Two decades ago, The American Legion Post 425 Auxiliary and the post, located in Littleton, held a service to remember prisoners of war and those soldiers who were listed as missing in action.

At the time, the Vietnam War was still a somewhat fresh memory, having ended little more than a decade earlier.

Through the years, that conflict has, in many ways, faded from the American consciousness. For families of those who never returned, it lingers, even more than 30 years since the armed conflict ended.

To commemorate those loses, and to commiserate a bit with those who are still wondering what happened to their loved ones serving in the American armed services, that first service was held in 1987. And it has been held every year since.

“Let us not forget,” said Helen Burtchell, the president of Post 425 Auxiliary and the District 2 president. “That’s the name of the service, and that sums up why we do this,” she said.

At other times of the year, Memorial Day in the spring and Veterans Day in the autumn, the sacrifice of those killed in battle and those who served in the military and came home to their families is recognized.

This service is to commemorate those who met an uncertain fate.

“We try not to forget these people who have given so much, and the world forgets they are gone,” she said. “We don’t know if they are gone, we don’t know if they are alive, we don’t know anything about them. And their families don’t know, and that’s the important issue. We can’t forget the people who the world seems to forget.”

Burtchell said the issue of Vietnam era soldiers who went missing in action, or MIA, is what captured the attention of many in America in the 1970s and 1980s, because their stories were often told in the media

‘There were so many (MIA’s), and such horrific things happened to those people, that we knew about. Before, you just didn’t hear that much about, but the world gets smaller, and we hear more,” she said, before adding “But we also forget quicker.”

Thus, the annual service, to set aside a little bit of time for a few dozen local folks to pay homage to all those from North Carolina who have been listed as MIA. Burtchell said the service goes far beyond those MIA from Vietnam. She said part of the service is lighting a candle for each name the group has, whether it be a solider from a recent conflict, or as far back as World War 1. While there are probably not any people left with remembrance of that first World War, figures from the federal Defense Department show that more than 3,300 soldiers are still listed as MIA from that war. The second World War still lists more than 78,000 missing ­– a larger number than all other conflicts combined ­­– the Korean War lists nearly 8,200 soldiers sill missing, and there are more than 2,450 still missing in Vietnam.

Of more recent conflicts, there are two listed as missing from the Persian Gulf War and one from the present armed conflict in Iraq.

In addition to honor the memory of those still listed as MIA, Burtchell said the service is to also honor those who were prisoners of war, or POW.

“These people have gone through terrible things in their lives,” she said of the often inhumane treatment afforded a POW. “We want to remember them. Somebody has to do it, they don’t teach it in the schools,” she said.

The POW/MIA service will feature an address by retired Capt. Robert Workman, who served as a Coast Guard helicopter pilot.

The hour-long service generally has around 60 people turn out, Burtchell said, although that number can vary from year to year.

“We usually have a cross section of people,” she said, some form a military background, and some who have no connection to the armed forces. “Some people are curious, some people are educated enough to know what this is all about, and others bring younger people so they can learn what it’s all about.”

The service will be held on Saturday, Sept. 15 at the Post 425 building on Weavers Chapel Road, beginning at 1 p.m. It is open to the public.