ATSU participates in community ceremony to honor local MIA/POWs
Posted: October 2, 2018
Each year, the president of the United States issues a proclamation on the third Friday of September for National POW/MIA Recognition Day.
Citizens across the U.S. paused to remember the sacrifices and service of those who were prisoners of war (POW), as well as those who are missing in action (MIA).
In Kirksville, a ceremony was held on the Adair County Courthouse lawn, where local families and community members came together to honor their loved ones.
A ‘Missing Man Table’ was on display throughout the ceremony. The table is set for six, the empty chairs represent Americans from each of the services: Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, and civilians.
Crystal Lafleur, OMS II, ATSU-KCOM, U.S. Navy ensign, and Ashley Maitland, OMS II, ATSU-KCOM, U.S. Navy ensign, from A.T. Still University’s Student Association of Military Osteopathic Physicians and Surgeons assisted in the ceremony.
“It was an honor to be a part of the ceremony dedicated to remembering the Prisoner of War/Missing in Action (POW/MIA) from Adair County and across the U.S,” said Lafleur. “These men and women have courageously given their lives to defend our great nation, and the ceremony is the least we can do to make sure they are not forgotten.”