Service honors POWs, MIAs

By Maurice Emery
Editor Emeritus

“Those who have served and those currently serving the uniformed services of the United States are ever mindful that the sweetness of enduring peace has always been tainted by the bitterness of personal sacrifice. We are compelled to never forget that while we enjoy our daily pleasures, there are others who have endured and may still be enduring the agonies of pain, deprivation and internment.”  With those words Adjutant and Post Commander Horace Knight introduced the meaning of the “Missing Man Table.”

The recognition of the table was part of the 20^th Annual POW-MIA ceremony at the General Daniel “Chappie” James Post and Unit #425 American Legion in Littleton last Saturday. The annual ceremony is held to make sure the POW-MIA’s are not forgotten. 

Knight went on to say, “We call your attention to this small table, which occupies a place of dignity and honor near the head table. It is set for one, symbolizing the fact that members of our armed forces are missing from our ranks. They are referred to as POW’s and MIA’s.” 

Knight, assisted by Commander of  Post 4048 Derrick McGee, then read the meaning of every item involved with the “Missing Man Table.” 

Sergeant at Arms Josephine Lee then led the assemblage in the Pledge of Allegiance. Auxiliary Unit President Helen Burtchell then gave prayer.  “Pray to our supreme commander that all of our comrades may soon be back within in our ranks,” she prayed.

Post Commander and District Commander Alan Burtchell welcomed everyone to the event and recognized the special guests and dignitaries present. 

Post 425 Commander William Ross greeted the attendees. He told the gathering this is one of the greatest post in the state of North Carolina. He added that he wanted everyone to feel just like they were at home.

Knight then thanked the POW’s, Dallas Knight and James Loffton, for being at the ceremony. “We are just grateful for the service you have provided for the United States of America,” Knight added.  

Auxiliary Unit President Helen Burtchell introduced the guest speaker for the day, Capt. Robert B. Workman, USCG retired. In her introductory remarks in referring to Workman she said “he is one of the hardest working people that I know, one of the most caring people that I know and he takes good care of his wife when she’s sick.” Burtchell also recognized the medals Workman has received.  They are the Distinguished Flying Cross, Meritorious Service medal and two Coast Guard Commendation Medals. 

Workman gave a brief recap of the history of the U. S. Coast Guard. He told the gathering the Coast Guard is used for search and rescue throughout the country.  In the first three days of Katrina the Coast Guard saved 33,874 people from the storm. They flew in 80 knot winds during the rescue.

A typical day in the Coast Guard involves: 15 lives saved; 117 people in distress: 90 search and rescue:  protect $20 million of property; enforce 129 security zones; assist in rescuing 15 illegal migrants (some of them are trained in Cuba to be terrorists in the U.S.); 71 pounds of marijuana, 663 pounds of cocaine equal to $21.1 million seized daily; board 192 vessels for law enforcement interest; and responds to 11 oil and hazardous chemical spills.

Workman then went on to provide highlights of a very illustrious career in the Coast Guard. He was in the Navy prior to being sworn in as an Ensign in the Coast Guard in 1959.  He has acquired 8,000 hours of flight time with 14 different fixed wing and rotary wing aircraft. As a pilot he has saved more than 700 lives often in the most difficult weather.

He has performed some of the most heroic rescues from Alaska to the Great Lakes to the southern shores of Florida in high seas and rough weather.

In one high rough sea rescue he managed to rescue six people from a ship in seas that were six stories high. During the rescue efforts he not only had to navigate the seas but he was taking men off a ship that was bobbing in the water. The rescue effort was so hard on the helicopter that when he landed on the beach, with about eight minutes of fuel left, they had to take the helicopter back to base on a flat bed truck because it was damaged too much to fly.

Workman received one of his Distinguished Flying Crosses for this rescue. 

After Workmans presentation the lighting of the POW-MIA Candles was performed by Deborah Correll and Collean Williams, the unit treasurer. At the same time Dorothy Hill, vice president and Dorothy McNair POW-MIA chairman read the names of the missing from North Carolina.  

This twentieth anniversary was highlighted by the fact that POW-MIA Chairman Dorothy McNair, Korean War POW Dallas Barnes and World War II POW James Loffton and his wife Ellen have been at every service since its inception. 

September 21, 2007 is POW Recognition Day. According to the National League of Families there are still 1,773 Americans missing and unaccounted for from the Vietnam War, though over 450 were at sea/over water losses: Vietnam - 1,363 (VN-483; VS-880); Laos – 349; Cambodia - 54; Peoples Republic of China territorial waters - 7.

You can find more information on POW-MIA Recognition Day at the following web sites: 

For more information on POW Recognition Day see:

POW-MIA Recognition Day

September 21, 2007

http://www.dtic.mil/dpmo/powday/index.htm

National League of families

http://www.pow-miafamilies.org/

NC Vietnam POW-MIA NAMES

http://ncmia.kenbrown.info/