POW/MIA Place of Honor

This table is set for those who cannot be with us---those who have given their all for the sake of our country.

 

Some fell in anguish and are resting on foreign soil.  Some we know were captured but not released to rejoin their loved ones.  Some simply disappeared.  They may be lost from our fold, but they are not forgotten.

 

The table is small, set for only one.  It symbolizes the frailty of one lone individual against many oppressors.

 

The tablecloth is white for the purity of a fighting man's intentions in responding to his country's call to arms.

 

A solitary red candle stands straight and tall, proud like our comrades  It is red for the blood they shed, and stands alone as they stood, courageously refusing to admit defeat.

 

The single rose represents the families who keep the faith awaiting our comrades return.

 

A red ribbon tied prominently on the vase is reminiscent of the red ribbons worn by thousands bearing witness of unyielding determination to demand a proper accounting of our missing.

 

A slice of lemon on the bread plate reminds us of our comrade's bitter fate.

 

The salt beside it is symbolic of the families tears as they wait.

 

The napkin is unfolded as though used, as the lives of our fellow soldiers were used up in the service of our country.

 

In our frivolity, let us remember those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for the freedoms we enjoy here today.  They may be gone, but let them never be forgotten.