‘Never Forgotten: Their Sacrifice, Our Mission, Ever Onward’

Courtesy photo The Journal
Senator Steve Stadleman, left, Vietnam2Now President Allan White, State Rep 67th District Maurice West, 35th District State Senator Dave Syverson, Vietnam2Now members Darrell Gilgan and Mike Belinson are shown at the Candlelight Ceremony held in the Loves Park City Hall Complex gymnasium.

By Margaret Downing
Reporter
Attendance September 20 at the annual “POW/MIA Candlelight Remembrance Ceremony” was good. As has been the case in the past, the event was held this year at the Loves Park City Hall complex gymnasium, 100 Heart Blvd. Other times it has been held at the Arthur W. Anderson Field of Honor Memorial adjacent to the facility. It is sponsored by the Rockford Charter Chapter Vietnam2Now.
This year’s keynote speaker was Gary Eisenhower, Sr. of Freeport. He spoke of arriving in Vietnam in 1967 where one of the first things the soldiers saw were caskets being unloaded from C130s. He also recalled how on a mission to get Viet Cong, an Air Force POW was seen and orders, when the gunships arrived, was the fact that the POW would be one of the casualties.
Eisenhower noted, too, how “Our government never negotiated with the governments of Laos and Cambodia” to get POWs released.
Vietnam2Now member Mary Nicholls and Gold Star Mother Angie White explained about the “Missing Man Table” settings that are in a place of honor at the yearly events.
Congress first passed a resolution commemorating National POW/MIA Recognition Day in 1979. The 97th Congress on May 11, 1982 designated July 9, 1982 and April 9, 1983 as “National POW-MIA Recognition Day.” The 100th Congress designated that September 16, 1988 as “National POW-MIA Recognition Day.”
The 101st Congress designated Sept. 21, 1990 as the POW-MIA Day. The 102nd Congress designated Sept. 20, 1991 and Sept. 18, 1992 at POW-MIA Day. The 103rd Congress designated Sept. 10, 1993 and Sept. 16, 1994 as National POW-MIA Day, and authorized display of the National League of Families POW/MIA flag.
H.J. Res. 376, an amendment to the Constitution, designating the third Friday of September of each year as Rep. G. V. Montgomery introduced “National POW/MIA Recognition Day”. It didn’t pass, but the President annually honors National POW/MIA Recognition Day’ on the third Friday of each September through Presidential proclamation.
At the Loves Park event, John Tuttle gave the opening welcome, the Vietnam2Now Color Guard under the direction of Commander Darrell Gilgan presented Colors. Rodney and Sandra Cain sang ‘The Star Spangled Banner’ and ‘God Bless America.’ Bob Theroux, Chaplain, gave the invocation and benediction and presented a video of the “History of the POW/MIA Flag” and a “Never Forgotten” video.
Allan White and Gayle Nashansky, Gold Star Mother, read the names of Illinois POWs and MIAs from the Vietnam War. Bell tolling was given by Dave Westendorf of the Rockford Navy Club. Sandra Cain sang the “Hallelujah, Veterans Version,” the Rockford Barbershop Quartet (Burt Macomber, Carl Heintz, Nathan Hyland, and Jerry Hyland) sang a “Salute to the Armed Forces. The Vietnam2Now Color Guard fired a rifle volley salute and Dan Allen played Taps.
Afterward, attendees relocated to the cafeteria for pizza and treats. Steve Blake, owner of Windsor Pizza Parlor of Loves Park donated the pizzas.