Missing Man Ceremony Planned at Winsted VFW

WINSTED — The Veterans of Foreign Wars Seicheprey Post 296 will host a Missing Man Table Ceremony as part of POW/MIA Remembrance Day today (Friday, Sept. 21, 6 p.m.) at the VFW Post.

Welcoming the public, the VFW, located at 114 North Colebrook River Road, will be assisted by the post’s Ladies’ Auxiliary and the Blue Star Mothers of Connecticut. During this time, all the names of known local prisoners of war and missing in action servicemen will be read.

Lona Parsons, president of the Ladies’ Auxiliary, has been compiling a book of names of all the POW/MIA servicemen from the state of Connecticut and will be responsible for reading the names aloud. “I am not sure how many will be read as of yet,†said Parsons, who will prepare the table for the Missing Man Table Ceremony.

The United States government’s Defense Prisoner of War/Missing Personnel Office (online at dtic.mil/dpmo) maintains a list of 28 servicemen unaccounted for from the Vietnam conflict.

The Missing Man Table Ceremony is a symbolic ritual. According to a POW/MIA publication, “We remember the loved ones who have been left behind. With the Missing Man Table and Honors Ceremony and the POW/MIA Remembrance Ceremony, we can reach out to honor our nation’s unaccounted for prisoners of war and missing in action.â€

The ceremony, according to the National League of Families of American Prisoners and Missing in Southeast Asia, has a basic setup with six empty place settings representing Americans still missing from either the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, Coast Guard or civilians. A moderator asks participants to stand for a prayer and the five service covers and a civilian cap are placed on the dinner plates. Items including: a white tablecloth, red rose, red ribbon, lemon slice, salt, Bible, inverted glass and chairs are a part of the layout and each of their purposes are explained.

The remembrance ceremony also consists of a second “smaller round table and a single empty chair before a solo place setting, symbolizing the frailty of one prisoner alone against his oppressors,†explained the publication. “Most posts have that setup,†said Parsons. “Ours is set up a little bit differently because I haven’t gotten the round table yet. I will be working on that one.â€

During the ceremony, local pastors Lin and David McGee will read the invocation. Lin McGee is president of the state of Connecticut Blue Star Mothers. To close the ceremony, Leah Ward, junior vice commander, will play taps on the bagpipes.

For more information or to provide the post with a POW/MIA name, call Lona Parsons at 860-379-3022 or e-mail her at llamanona@aol.com.

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