SAN ANGELO, TX – Goodfellow Air Force Base commemorated National POW/MIA Recognition Day with a solemn ceremony and 24-hour remembrance run that began on Thursday, Sept. 19, at 9 a.m.
The event, held at the Mathis Fitness Center track, honored service members who were prisoners of war or remain missing in action.
The 17th Training Wing organized the event, which included the reading of names of those still unaccounted for.
Staff Sergeant Heather Cannon, the event’s master of ceremonies, spoke about the significance of remembering these sacrifices, stating, “We want these events to serve as a reminder that they are not and will never be forgotten.”
During the ceremony, Major Larry Miller, a retired U.S. Air Force officer and current San Angelo City Council member, shared personal stories from his time in the service.
“Your country will search the entire world for her missing service personnel to bring them back to our shores," he said. "It will move heaven and earth trying to find each and every one of our heroes.”
The remembrance run, in which participants have taken turns running throughout the day and night, concluded just before the ceremony at 9 a.m. this morning.
Colonel Branden DeLong, commander of the 312th Training Squadron, spoke over the broader meaning of the event, saying, “This ceremony is more than a tradition."
"It’s a solemn reminder of the deep commitment we owe to the brave men and women who answered the call to duty, many of whom never returned home," he said.
National POW/MIA Recognition Day, observed annually on the third Friday in September since being established in 1979, aims to ensure that the sacrifices of these individuals are never forgotten.
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