The men and women of the 14th Flying Training Wing gathered at a ceremony at Smith Plaza to remember and pay their respects to those servicemembers declared a prisoner of war or missing in action.
Former Vietnam War POW Retired Lt. Col. Richard “Gene” Smith was the guest speaker at the event, which featured a missing man aerial formation, retreat ceremony and the laying of a wreath in honor of lost, but not forgotten, Americans.
“What I want to say to all of you (airmen) is that your country is behind you,” Smith said.
Smith was a prisoner of war for nearly 5 1/2 years and was repatriated March 14, 1973. After repatriation, he was eventually assigned to Columbus Air Force Base as the commander of the 50th Flying Training Squadron.
The vice commander of the 14th FTW, Col. George Ross, said the ceremony was a chance for everyone to recommit to ensuring everything is done to account for those lost in war.
“When you see the POW/MIA flag, I ask you to never forget our special comrades, those who were prisoners, and those whose status is still unresolved,” Ross said. “Our nation has not forgotten nor will our nation ever forget. We are unwavering in our commitment to return home any American taken prisoner of war or who are missing in action, or unaccounted for.”
During his comments, Smith said every man and woman serving in todays military should keep three priorities to guide them in their service. He said their priorities should be their god, their nation and their families — in that order.
He also said that one event during his capture led to great hope amongst him and his fellow POWs — the November 1970 raid at Son Tay.
The Son Tay raid saw U.S. military forces attempting to rescue POWs from the North Vietnamese, but unfortunately while the raid itself went well, upon entering the cells they discovered the POWs had already been moved to a different location.
Smith said while the mission didn”t end up freeing him or his comrades, it did send a message.
“What that mission said to us, to our nation and to the North Vietnamese was that our people are important to us and we will do whatever we can to help them,” Smith said.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 41 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.