HEROES to Commemorate POW/MIA Recognition Day With Symbolic Table at HQ
On Friday, Sept. 15, Exchange Special Emphasis Program HEROES will continue a nearly 10-year tradition when it sets a table for six in the Exchange Headquarters cafeteria.
The table will commemorate National POW/MIA Recognition Day, which falls on the third Friday of September in remembrance of those who were prisoners of war and those who remain missing in action. The table will have six place-setting for the branches of the Armed Forces, represented by a hat for each Service. An American flag and the POW/MIA flag will be next to the table, which will have one empty chair, representing the missing and fallen.
Also on the table are a rose, representing family; a yellow ribbon, the sign of waiting for those serving abroad; an inverted glass, representing the fallen; a lemon wedge, representing the bitter loss of a service member; salt, symbolizing the tears shared by loved ones; and a candle with a red band around it, representing blood shed by troops.
HEROES has put together this display since 2014. The program recognizes the contributions and sacrifices of Exchange associates and retirees who are military Veterans, as well as supporting their spouses and family members.
“It is an honor to recognize and salute our Nation’s Heroes for their many sacrifices as we remember all POWs and MIAs on this day of remembrance,” said Senior Vice President of Real Estate Mike Smietana, who serves as Executive Champion for the HEROES group. “We invite associates worldwide to reflect on the service and sacrifice of our POWs and MIA service members.”
National POW/MIA Recognition Day was established in 1979 by President Jimmy Carter. To learn more about the day of remembrance, visit the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency website.
To learn more about HEROES and other Exchange Special Emphasis Programs, visit the Exchange HUB here. If you’d like to join a Special Emphasis Program, click here.
