September 17, 2015
CRANE, Indiana. –Naval Support Activity Crane joined Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division and Crane Army Ammunition Activity in hosting its annual Prisoner of War/Missing in Action Recognition Day Ceremony on Sept. 17.
Six former POWs and three widows of former POWs were honored during the ceremony, which was attended by the commanding officers of NSA Crane and CAAA. CAAA Commander Col. Jim Hooper spoke of the importance of remembering former POWs and those who are still missing in action.
“I think this ceremony stands as a great reminder to everyone that we will not forget a single man or woman left behind on the battlefield,” he said, adding that we owe active duty service members the knowledge that the nation will never give up on them.
Former Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States Commander-in-Chief Bill Thien, who served as the event’s guest speaker, added a tribute to those who are still waiting to learn the fates of missing loved ones. “We must remember the sacrifices of their families, which they continue to make,” he stressed. “I cannot imagine the loss that I would feel if my mother or father had gone to war and didn’t return. I can’t imagine reliving the moment when the government couldn’t tell me if my brother or sister was dead or alive. And I can’t imagine my grief if that missing person was my son or daughter.”
Bloomfield High School NJROTC provided the color guard for the ceremony. A seven-man firing party from the Crane and Odon Veterans of Foreign Wars posts fired three volleys and Taps was played to honor those who are missing and who died in action. The Bloomfield High School choir group, Center Stage, performed several songs during the event.
Following the ceremony, Crane honored its guests at a luncheon where the veterans spoke about their experiences as POWs. Some talked about the conditions they endured during their time of captivity and many expressed gratitude for the annual recognition ceremony, which has allowed them to become better acquainted with one another over the years. Former POW Paul Wagner said that is the reason he tries to attend the Crane ceremony each September.
“I feel sometimes that only other POWs could understand me. For example, I have hallucinations where I hear the guns firing and I’m back in the war. I come to see these people, the other POWs, because what happens most of the time is that their tales are so much worse than mine that I leave here feeling better,” he explained.
Team Crane is composed of the host tenant Naval Support Activity Crane and major tenant commands Crane Army Ammunition Activity; Crane Division, Naval Surface Warfare Center; Fleet and Industrial Supply Center, Norfolk, Crane, Indiana; and Naval Facilities Engineering Command Midwest, Detachment Crane.
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