In Honor To Those Comrades
Taken Prisoner of War and Still Missing-In-Action
There are heroes
in the thousands who have been held as prisoners of war or whose fate has
never been resolved. Many have been lost in the chaos of battle, the
grief of their loss made more acute for their families and their fellow
Americans because of the inability to determine whether these heroes
perished or survived. Americans captured, cruelly stripped of their
freedom, treated with contempt and brutality, or used as pawns by their
captors in a larger political struggle, have fought long, lonely battles
against despair, physical and psychological torture, and the ultimate fear
of being forgotten.
The citizens of the United States owe a great debt of gratitude to these
heroes. So it is with deep respect, great pride and the utmost dignity
that we honor the following Finance Corps Soldiers who were held as
Prisoners of War and who are still listed as Missing-In-Action:
Prisoners of War
Civil War
(1861 - 1865)
Danville, Virginia POW Camp
World War II
(1941 - 1945)
Captured by the Germans
MAJ Robert H. Shirley
HQ Special Troops/Division
POW Camp Unknown
Captured by the Japanese
|
WOJG Hoyett Adams Philippine Department Finance Headquarters Bilibid POW Camp |
Finance Unit Unknown Davao Penal Colony #502 POW Camp |
|
CAPT Loyd Baker Philippine Department Finance Headquarters Rokuroshi POW Camp |
PFC Herbert K. Ballew Philippine Department Finance Headquarters POW Camp Unknown |
|
LTC Paul S. Beard Finance Unit Unknown Davao Penal Colony #502 POW Camp |
TSG Benjamin Franklin Beason Finance Unit Unknown Palawan POW Camp, Killed During Massacre |
|
Finance Unit Unknown Fuk-01-Main POW Camp |
TSG Ralph Edwin Boyd Philippine Department Finance Headquarters Tok-05B-Niigata POW Camp |
|
MAJ John E. Brinkmeyer Finance Unit Unknown POW Camp Unknown |
PVT Theodore Brodsky Philippine Department Finance Headquarters Hir-06B-Omine (Yamaguchi) POW Camp |
|
MSG Charles Francis Caster HDM&SB Finance Sen-06B-Hanawa POW Camp |
II Philippline Corps, G2 Sen-06B-Hanawa POW Camp |
|
1LT George A. Coennen Finance Unit Unknown POW Camp Unknown |
PFC Robert L. Cohen Finance Unit Unknown POW Camp Unknown |
|
MSG Frank N. Curtis Finance Unit Unknown Bilibid POW Camp |
Finance Unit Unknown POW Camp Unknown |
|
TSG Roy Howard Davis Fort Mills Finance Office Tok-13B-Omi (Aomi) POW Camp |
TSG Jose G. Dizon Finance Unit Unknown POW Camp Unknown |
|
SGT Robert Doyle Headquarters Detachment, Finance Department Cabanatuan (GS) POW Camp |
PFC John E. Dugan Finance Unit Unknown Cabanatuan (GS) POW Camp |
|
LTC Leroy M. Edwards Philippines Department, Fort Mills Bilibid POW Camp |
COL William A. Enos V-M Force Headquarters Mukden POW Camp |
|
CAPT Stephen R. Franks V-M Force Headquarters Davao Penal Colony #502 POW Camp |
MAJ Dwight Ethan Gard United States Finance Services Jinsen, Korea POW Camp |
|
PVT Wallace B. Hankins 59th G POW Camp Unknown |
MSG Howard H. Hiller Finance Unit Unknown Os-05B-Tsuruga POW Camp |
|
SSG Meridith L. Hough Philippine Department Finance Headquarters POW Camp Unknown |
PFC Alvin T. Inghram Philippine Department Finance Headquarters Nag-02B-Narumi POW Camp |
|
CAPT James Kabakow Philippine Department Finance Headquarters Davao Penal Colony #502 POW Camp |
PFC Donald Edward Ker 24th Pursuit Group, 24th Pursuit Squadron Fuk-17-Omuta POW Camp |
|
MSG Chester P. Kozlowski Finance Unit Unknown Nag-03B-Funatsu POW Camp |
SSG Arthur Greenwell Kuykendall Finance Unit Unknown Tok-13B-Omi (Aomi) POW Camp |
|
Philippine Department Finance Headquarters POW Camp Unknown |
LTC Roy Edgar McElfish Philippine Department Finance Headquarters Rokuroshi POW Camp |
|
LTC Welborn Goulding McMurray U.S. Army Forces Far East Headquarters Cabanatuan POW Camp |
SSG Nelson E. McPherson Philippine Department Finance Headquarters Nag-09B-Jinzu (Toyama Iwase) POW Camp |
|
MSG Donald S. Miller 4th E Nag-09B-Jinzu (Toyama Iwase) POW Camp |
PFC Paul Henry Miller Finance Unit Unknown Sen-06B-Hanawa POW Camp |
|
PFC William Harrison Morton Fort McKinley Finance Department Tok-13B-Omi (Aomi) POW Camp |
Finance Unit Unknown POW Camp Unknown |
|
SSG Cecil L. Muir Philippine Department Finance Headquarters Bilibid POW Camp |
SSG Charles H. Norris 60th Coastal Artillery Company, Headquarters POW Camp Unknown |
|
V-M Force Headquarters Davao Penal Colony #502 POW Camp |
1LT Robert H. Pratt 45th Infantry Regiment (PS) Dansalan POW Camp |
|
SSG Aaron A. Pressman Finance Unit Unknown en route to Tottori POW Camp |
SSG Charles William Ragland Finance Unit Unknown Tok-13B-Omi (Aomi) POW Camp |
|
SSG Ira William Sayler Philippine Department Finance Headquarters Os-04B-Ikuno POW Camp |
PFC Irle D. Searcy Finance Unit Unknown Bilibid POW Camp |
|
SGT Ross H. Thompson Finance Unit Unknown POW Camp Unknown |
LTC Melvin E. Underwood Finance Unit Unknown Davao Penal Colony #502 POW Camp |
|
MSG George I. Van Wie Finance Unit Unknown Os-10B-Maibara POW Camp |
Finance Unit Unknown POW Camp Unknown |
|
MSG Russell Harvey Walker Finance Unit Unknown Os-05B-Tsuruga POW Camp |
1LT Ambrose J. Wangler Philippine Department Finance Headquarters Cabanatuan (GS) POW Camp |
|
SSG Walter A. Wernher Philippine Department Finance Headquarters Cabanatuan POW Camp |
Finance Unit Unknown POW Camp Unknown |
|
SSG Harold M. Williams Finance Unit Unknown POW Camp Unknown |
SSG Carl A. Wills Finance Unit Unknown Mukden POW Camp |
Korean War
(1950 - 1951)
Company G, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division
POW Camp Unknown
Missing in Action
Civil War
(1861 - 1865)
World War II
(1941 - 1945)
| SSG Robert James Ashdown | PFC Herbert K. Ballew | TSGT Edward Richard Benedict |
| 1LT Simon Buckner Chipley | PFC Robert L. Cohen | TSGt Raymundo Devera |
| PVT George E. Eliopoulos | TSGT Amado Felipe | CPT Stephen R. Franks |
| SSG Meridith L. Hough | SSG Paul F. Moyer | |
| LTC Kenneth Sharp Olson | SGT Ross H. Thompson | |
| LTC Melvin E. Underwood | SSG Walter A. Wernher | SSG Harold M. Williams |
Korean War
(1950 - 1951)
Missing Man Table and Honors Ceremony
The Missing Man Ceremony is a dignified and solemn moment in many formal dinners and other occasions.
There have been many different narratives written for the ceremony, but the symbolism is quite constant.
The Missing Man Ceremony usually follows the "Posting of the Colors" and the "National Anthem" in the order of the program.
The Ceremony
Moderator:
As you entered the dining area, you may have noticed a table at the front, raised to call your attention to its purpose -- it is reserved to honor our missing loved comrades.
Set for six, the empty places represent our men missing from each of the five services - Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, Coast Guard - and civilians. This Honors Ceremony symbolizes that they are with us, here in spirit.
All Americans should never forget our brave men and women who answered our nation's call and served the cause of freedom in a special way.
As the Honor Guard places one of the five service covers or a civilian cap on each empty plate, I would like to ask you to consider their sacrifices, followed by a moment of silent prayer.
Honor Guard:
(In silence or with dignified, reverent music as background, the Honor Guard moves into position around the table and simultaneously places one of the service covers, of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force and Coast Guard, or a civilian hat, on each empty dinner plate at each table setting. The Honor Guard then departs.)
Moderator:
Please be seated…..I would like to explain the meaning of the items on this special table.
The table is round - to show our everlasting concern for our men still missing.
The cloth is white - symbolizing the purity of their motives when answering the call to duty.
The single red rose, displayed in a vase, reminds us of the life of each of the missing, and their loved ones and friends who keep the faith, awaiting answers.
The vase is tied with a red ribbon, symbol of our continued determination to account for our missing.
A slice of lemon on the bread plate is to remind us of the bitter fate of those captured and missing in a foreign land.
A pinch of salt symbolizes the tears endured by those missing and their families who seek answers.
The Bible represents the strength gained through faith to sustain those lost from our country, founded as one nation under God.
The glass is inverted - to symbolize their inability to share this evening's toast.
The chairs are empty - they are missing.
Let us now raise
our water glasses in a toast to honor America's POW/MIA's and to the success of
our efforts to account for them.
