The University's Air Force, Army and Navy ROTC programs honored prisoners of war and those missing in action in a ceremony Friday.
According to second-year Engineering student Annette Robertson, an Air Force ROTC cadet and organizer of the event, the ceremony is held annually by the University's ROTC branches.This year, however, the date of the event was changed to correspond with POW/MIA Remembrance Day, Robertson said.
POW/MIA Remembrance Day has been celebrated nationally since the Vietnam War era, according to the commander of the Air Force ROTC, Col. Dan Doty, who noted the University's ceremony is intended to pay respect to those soldiers who are still missing.
"We realize that there are still soldiers and marines that are unaccounted for, so we are just recognizing their service to the United States," Doty said.
According to Robertson, the ceremony was preceded by a 24-hour march and the lighting of luminaries, which began Thursday evening.
"Lighting the luminaries represents the hope that one day everyone will come home," Robertson said.
For Friday's ceremony, the cadets lined up in formation, and the American Legion participated in the event as an honor guard, Doty said. The ceremony was brought to a close with a 21-gun salute.
The ceremony featured guest speaker Andy Robertson, commander of the Virginia department of the American Legion and a retired Navy commander.
According to Doty, Robertson spoke about the importance of young cadets and midshipmen recognizing the men and women who have served before them.
"We should all recognize their sacrifices," Doty said.
Fourth-year Engineering student Taylor Wilson, an Air Force ROTC cadet, said this event is especially meaningful because it honors those soldiers who have gone missing, as well as their families.
"We're helping to provide closure for the families who have lost loved ones through the wars," Wilson said.
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