Bloomfield, Missouri - On Friday, the Missouri Veteran’s Cemetery honored National POW/MIA Day with their annual ceremony made possible through the John J. Pershing VA Medical Center and Ken Swearengin, Director of the Cemetery.
Also on hand were the Stoddard County Veterans Honor Guard, VFW Auxiliary Post 4556 from Piggott, Arkansas, Daughters of the American Revolution, and members of the Kenady-Hanks American Legion Post 59.
Paul Schuerenberg, Vocational Community Employment Coordinator for the Veterans Administration welcomed everyone in attendance and gave a brief history of the National POW/MIA Day.
“It was July 19, 1979,” stated Schuerenberg. “when the first commemoration was held to honor America’s POWs and MIAs.” Congress passed the first resolution and a national ceremony was held in the National Cathedral.
“Today,” Schuerenberg continued, “we honor the sacrifices and remarkable determination of veterans captured as prisoners of war, and we remember those who remain unaccounted for, and we wish their families some small comfort in knowing that America has not forgotten them.”
Keynote speaker was Seth W. Barlage, Associate Medical Center Director with the John J. Pershing VA Medical Center.
Barlage said, “Throughout our history, when enemies of freedom were on the march, great Americans took up arms and stopped their advance. They answered their nation’s call to duty.”
“More than 142,000 American servicemen and women were captured from World War I to the Gulf War. Twenty thousand are alive today. They endured the uncertainties, deprivations, and hardships of hostile captivity. The true cost of wartime imprisonment may never be known.”
Two of those servicemen were present today. Jay Barber who was captured in North Korea and taken prisoner on December 3, 1950. He spent nearly three years in the hands of the North Koreans. He was a member of G Company, 2nd Battalion of the 7th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division during the Korean War. On August 5, 1953 he was finally freed.
Edward Bender of Cape Girardeau was captured by Germans in 1994 during World War II and is now 97 years old. He flew B17s for the U.S. Air Force. He spent one year and four days in prison camps throughout Germany and Poland before being freed.
Barber and Bender met for the first time Friday morning. They were honored for their service, their courage and their ability to survive and return home to their families.
Lilly Hoggard and Pamela Wayer of the VFW Auxiliary Post 4556 placed yellow roses for each conflict. A touching POW/MIA Table Ceremony was performed narrated by Gary Kitchen SFC USA RET while Bloomfield student Allison Statler played Amazing Grace on her violin.
Representing the armed forces were James Adams SFC USA RET (US Army), Tom Love CAPT USMC RET (US Marine Corps), Carl Bess PO1 USN RET (US Navy), Michael Williams CAPT USAF (US Air Force), and Justin baker CW04 USCG RET (Us Coast Guard).
Donna Reynolds, Chief of Voluntary Service, VA, Chris Luecke, Voluntary Service Specialist, VA, and Bennie Hicks, Voluntary Service Assistant, VA presented gifts to former POWs Barber and Bender.
Firing of the Volley was by the Stoddard County Veterans Honor Guard and Bloomfield student John Lancaster performed TAPS.
