DES MOINES – Governor Terry Branstad helped honor missing soldiers and prisoners of war (POWs) today in a ceremony at the Iowa capitol.
National POW/MIA Recognition Day is being observed today, Friday, September 19, 2014. This annual event honors prisoners of war, missing soldiers and their families, and highlights the government’s commitment to account for them.
Friday morning at 9:00 AM, Governor Branstad signed a proclamation as ISU Air Force ROTC members stood behind him. The ROTC members planned to run from Des Moines to Ames to raise awareness for POW and MIAs.
More than 83,000 Americans are missing from World War II, the Korean War, the Cold War, the Vietnam War and the 1991 Gulf War, the U.S. government says.
At the same time, President Barack Obama released the following statement to mark the occasion:
America’s history shines with patriots who have answered the call to serve. From Minutemen who gathered on a green in Lexington to a great generation that faced down Communism and all those in our military today, their sacrifices have strengthened our Nation and helped secure more than two centuries of freedom. As our Armed Forces defend our homeland from new threats in a changing world, we remain committed to a profound obligation that dates back to the earliest days of our founding — the United States does not ever leave our men and women in uniform behind. On National POW/MIA Recognition Day, we express the solemn promise of a country and its people to our service members who have not returned home and their families: you are not forgotten.
My Administration remains dedicated to accounting as fully as possible for our Nation’s missing heroes, lost on battlefields where the sounds of war ceased decades ago and in countries where our troops are deployed today. Whether they are gone for a day or for decades, their absence is felt. They are missed during holidays and around dinner tables, and their loved ones bear this burden without closure. Americans who gave their last full measure of devotion deserve to be buried with honor and dignity, and those who are still unaccounted for must be returned to their families. We will never give up our search for them, and we will continue our work to secure the release of our citizens who are unjustly detained abroad. Today, we acknowledge that we owe a profound debt of gratitude to all those who have given of themselves to protect our Union and our way of life, and we honor them by working to uphold this sacred trust.
On September 19, 2014, the stark black and white banner symbolizing America’s Missing in Action and Prisoners of War will be flown over the White House; the United States Capitol; the Departments of State, Defense, and Veterans Affairs; the
Selective Service System Headquarters; the World War II Memorial; the Korean War Veterans Memorial; the Vietnam Veterans Memorial; United States post offices; national cemeteries; and other locations across our country. We raise this flag as a solemn reminder of our obligation to always remember the sacrifices made to defend our Nation.
Vietnam: America’s huge mistake. So many damaged men and their wives and children. The abuse and subsequent abuse…the horrors, the nastiness with the fighting itself. Think long and hard before wanting to get into proxy war pissing matches with Russia next time OIL Companies.
what do you know about it anyway.
I know that it messed up this country in a lot of ways, including the children and family members of distraught, messed up vets, who became incredibly violent and abusive. The fallout was severe and costly to this day. War has consequences, and maverick war makers are dangerous to America. Obama is a thoughtful man, who won’t commit troops needlessly…unlike his predecessor.
@Philly-you are way off base here. Obama only cares about his politics. Like you, he hasn’t a clue when it comes to protecting our country. he is doing everything he can to destroy our way of life.
When you have half a dozen generals say that the only way to defeat isis is with troops on the ground and Obama says no, that tells me he is only looking out for himself. The main problem with the Vietnam war was congress trying to get involved, putting limits on our troops and that still is the problem today. How can we win a war when they prosecute soldiers for shooting the enemy?
@maybe-you are absolutely correct. If the politicians would just get the hell out of the way and let our military do the job they were trained for we could have ended Vietnam years earlier with many less casualty’s. The same with Iraq and Afganistan. Nam only became a mistake because of the politicians.
Obama is trying to save your dumb ass from being maimed or killed. In your case he couldn’t get to you because Bush was in office. Obama is not going to commit troops to the ground when aerial strikes work just fine. If the damn Iraqis and Syrians want to free their country from bondage, they can fight their own damn war. The aerial strikes are preventing the humanitarian disaster, and buying time until the dumb asses who live there get their shit together. The Prez is Correct.
The problem we had in the military is this, yes the president sends us over there knowing that we have been properly trained but then congress gets involved and puts limits on us. The casualties wouldn’t have been even half if we could have fought the way we were trained. To get rid of isis fast all we need is approximately 10,000 troops on the ground and allowed to fight, not get shot at but Obama is too scared to make people upset with him, guess what; it’s loo late for that.
The policy of “wait until you’re shot at” was thoroughly in place when Bush 2 was in office. Don’t play Obama as ‘the guy tying the soldier’s hands’. Even Vietnam had a ‘policing’ policy that soldiers were supposed to abide by. Besides, your casualty was from friendly fire…a mistake. Indirectly could it have been due to tiptoeing on eggshells? Perhaps. I’m not even sure what we’re arguing about anymore. Extracurricular wars…oh yeah, that’s the ticket.
We are arguing because you don’t know what you are talking about and pretend to be an expert. I never said it was because of bush that we couldn’t be proactive, I said it was because of congress getting involved. Bush sent us over there because of WMD’s and you can say all you want that there wasn’t any but ISIS proved that there was plus we gave them bio weapons during the Iraq iran war so we know that they were there.
And Iraq declared war on the United States did they? You bought the pretext for the invasion as fed to you by the Cheney Wolfowitz Rice Powell Rummy Team (Bush doesn’t even count because he was just a puppet). You behaved beautifully in their eyes; all charged up and ready to go make those Oil Companies some money. Many ‘hostile to the US’ nations have biological weapons…where’s the invasions to go get them? You did the job handed to you by the Republican war machine.
And it’s not just a matter of “getting rid of ISIS”. There’s a hundred thousand more ISIS waiting to emerge. The solution is either letting them establish their repressive Caliphate Islamic State, or completely decimating them off the face of the Earth. There seems to be no other choice with Islam. I prefer the latter option. I think the entire region should be leveled. If it wasn’t for Israel nearby, that may have happened already. I loathe fascist Islamist assholes.
Universal Human Rights should be the only doctrine allowed to prevail on the Earth, and whereas philosophies, doctrines, edicts, and practices inflict harm and death upon humans, animals and the environment, those propagating should be outlawed, imprisoned or destroyed. I believe in free speech and thought up until the point it transgresses my, or other people’s rights to exist peacefully. DEATH TO ISLAM. I hate that garbage cult. Buddha is the only cool cat I need to reference.
If we let the military leaders run our wars without the balances and checks our forefathers put in the Constitution, we would still have troops in Vietnam. War is money. War is certainty that our military will continue to have the power it desires. War is hell.
@bo-war is supposed to be hell. If it wasn’t we would be in one all the time. But, because it is we think about it first. But, when you need to fight you should go all out and win. War is not a game.
“Going all out” would imply the use of chemical weapons, would it not? Nuclear too. Disregard Geneva Conventions LVS? It’s of my somewhat opinion that the United States should wield and leverage the ultimate weapon in warfare and end all wars. It’d be nice to see the Middle East quieted down and behaving themselves…or vanished. The Big Bear seems to threaten us don’t they? I’m sure the Defense Contractors would “wee wee wee, all the way home” also. One Nuke and Peace would prevail