At the end of a long winding pathway surrounded by a grove of maple trees now sits the physical representation of a solemn promise made daily by a grateful nation.
On Thursday, Nov. 5, College of the Ozarks unveiled its Prisoner of War & Missing in Action Monument Memorial in Patriots Park during a dedication ceremony attended by veterans, former prisoners of war, college students and leaders, and members of the community. This memorial joins the Missouri Vietnam Veterans Memorial, the Missouri Gold Star Families Memorial, the Korean War Memorial, the Global War on Terrorism Memorial, Veterans Grove and the World War II Flag Plaza at College of the Ozarks.
Attendees were welcomed to the ceremony by Brigadier General James P. Schreffler, vice president of patriotic programs at College of the Ozarks, who explained the symbolism of the memorial; which stands as a tribute to all POW’s who suffered confinement at the hands of the enemy and the more than 80,000 service men and women who are still listed as missing in action.
“A long winding pathway to the memorial offers visitors an opportunity for solitude and reflection in Veterans Grove where each maple tree is dedicated to a Veteran who has traveled with their students as part of the patriotic education travel program,” Schreffler said. “Its placement in the rear of the grove, separated from the main memorial plaza, represents the separation of those still missing from their families, often in faraway lands. The statue of the POW on his knees, reaching up to the heavens in prayers, shackles broken, representing the strength of faith and that God always prevails. He is hidden from view behind the black granite slab bearing the POW/MIA emblem, as if hidden from sight behind prison walls. Psalm 23, so important to many prisoners of war, serves as a backdrop to the statue. Lastly, the eternal flame, representing the light of hope that burns in our hearts, that all those still missing will someday return home and will never be forgotten.”
College of the Ozarks President Dr. Brad Johnson shared with attendees how the college has emphasized the patriotic pillar by encouraging an understanding of American heritage, civic responsibility, love of country, and the willingness to defend it.
“The College of the Ozarks intentionally acknowledges the sacrifice of the men and women who served our country and defended the freedoms we hold dear,” Johnson said. “Today, we are honored to dedicate this memorial and honor all those who were prisoners of war or those missing in action.”
Attendees were also addressed by Adjutant General of the Missouri National Guard Major General Charles Hausman, who shared this memorial will be a place where Missouri guardsmen and all service members will be able to pause, honor, and reflect.
“These grounds will remind our soldiers and airmen why we serve and whom we serve,” Hausman said. “We will continually honor the service members to whom this part is dedicated, drawing inspiration from their courage as we carry out missions at home and abroad. So, in closing, let us pledge once more we will remember those who suffered in captivity. We will honor those who never returned. We will support the families who still wait for answers. And we will uphold the promise carried by the POW-MIA flag; you are not forgotten.”
Next, attendees heard from Colonel John Clark, U.S. Air Force (retired), a prisoner of war in Vietnam from 1967 to 1973, who spoke on behalf of the POW community.
“I have a dire account of being threatened to vanish into the vast mysterious prison system of North Vietnam to never be heard of again. It was serious indeed,” Clark said. “When I was shot down, both pilots were reported as missing in action and presumed killed. For three and a half years I was dead to my family and to my nation. In reality, we both escaped the aircraft in a few seconds before it became a huge fireball in the side of a steep ridge. I evaded my captors for a short period of time and eventually captured alive,” Clark said. “Because we were shot down on the ill-defined Vietnam-Laos border and I was not sure who was capturing me. The communist Pathet Lao or the North Vietnamese. If the Vietnamese, torture. If the Laotians, most likely a slow death in a small mud cave by starvation and malaria. My fellow pilot chose immediate death by gunfire. It became the task of my country, my family and friends to lay me to rest incinerated in a huge fireball somewhere in North Vietnam. No parts, no pieces, no indication I ever existed. My younger sister never subscribed to that. She always believed I was alive somewhere, somehow. I might have been included in this memorial all these many years later. How many others? I am here today by faith in God, faith in my country, my family and my fellow prisoners of war; and by my own perseverance to return honorably to all whose faith brought me home.”
Before the unveiling of the memorial, Heather Harris, director of the European-Mediterranean Region at the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA), addressed those in attendance.
“My agency, the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, has the awesome, the solemn responsibility to find our missing heroes, and as we search to tell their family members how they became missing and the steps our government has taken to locate them,” Harris said. “Our values are straightforward, rooted in teamwork, innovation, and compassion, with a commitment to integrity and respect. Our skilled team of over 700 Department of War civilians, military personnel, and contractors is dedicated to achieving the fullest possible accounting of our missing, and whenever possible, to recovering and identifying their remains so that they might be laid to rest with full military honors in the location of their family’s choosing.”
Harris added, two years ago, their efforts resulted in the identification of 231, but this year alone they’ve already achieved 250 identifications.
At the conclusion of Harris’ speech, the time came for the unveiling of the monument. This responsibility was led by George Blassie, the brother of 1st Lt. Michael Blassie, who was killed in action and laid to rest in Arlington National Cemetery from 1984 to1998 in the Vietnam War Tomb of the Unknown Soldier until DNA testing later revealed his identity. He was joined by Chaplain retired Colonel Robert Certain, U.S. Air Force (a Prisoner of War in Vietnam from 1972 to 1973), retired U.S. Air Force Colonel Tom Moe (a former Prisoner of War in Vietnam from 1968 to 1973); as well as Colonel Clark, President Johnson, and Brigadier General Schreffler.
The ceremony concluded with the lighting of the eternal flame by Jody Braswell and Tyler Miller with the C of O Construction Department, the laying of roses at the base of the memorial by students and a jet flyover, in which four jets flew over Patriots Park in a missing man formation.
The ceremony also included the presentation of colors by College of the Ozarks Bobcat Guard Officer Leadership Development candidates, musical selections by the College Concert Band and Chapel Choir, placement of a wreath, and the playing of “Taps” by U.S. Army Retired Sgt. Maj. Bob Smither.
More information on College of the Ozarks, Patriots Park, and how to visit the new POW/MIA Memorial cab be found here.
(Photo By Tim Church)
