Updated: The annual community ceremony for the POW/MIA Recognition Day planned for 6:30PM at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Lejeune Memorial Gardens may be changed to take place at at City Hall in Council Chambers as rain is expected. City Hall is located at 815 New Bridge Street. Accommodations will be made for the media to attend at either location. An update will be announced Friday by 10AM.
Hosted by the NC5 Chapter of Rolling Thunder, Inc, the sunset event will include the Missing Man Table Ceremony and the Flame of Freedom.
The observance will be presented virtually on the City of Jacksonville Facebook page, @jacksonvillenc.gov and live on G10TV, the Jacksonville-Onslow Government Television Channel and made available on demand on the Jacksonville NC YouTube Channel. There will be some accommodation for a small number of persons to be in the audience for the event and staying within the Covid-19 mandates for room occupancy.
National POW/MIA Recognition Day was established in 1979 through a proclamation signed by President Jimmy Carter. Since then, each subsequent president has issued an annual proclamation commemorating the third Friday in September as National POW/MIA Recognition Day.
A national-level ceremony is held on every National POW/MIA Recognition Day. Traditionally held at the Pentagon, it features members from each branch of military service and participation from high-ranking officials.
In addition to the national-level ceremony, observances of National POW/MIA Recognition Day are held across the country on military installations, ships at sea, state capitols, schools and veterans’ facilities.
No matter where they are held, these National POW/MIA Recognition Day ceremonies share the common purpose of honoring those who were held captive and returned, as well as those who remain missing.
Contact: Glenn Hargett, 910 938-5200