The MIA/POW Table
After Every line that is read, a little bell is rung. Here is the reading:
The small table is set for one — symbolizing the frailty of one prisoner.
The table is round — showing our everlasting concern for our POW/MIA’s.
The cloth is white — symbolizing the purity of our men and women’s motives when answering the call to duty.
The single red rose — reminding us of the lives of these men and women — their loved ones and friends who keep the faith, while seeking answers.
The red ribbon — symbolizes our continued determination to account for them.
A slice of lemon — reminds us of the bitter fate of those missing, captured and held as prisoners in foreign lands.
A pinch of salt — symbolizes the tears of our missing and their families who long for answers after decades of uncertainty.
The Holy Bible — represents the strength gained through faith in our country, founded as one nation under God, to sustain those lost from our midst.
The candle — is reminiscent of the light of hope which lives in our hearts to illuminate their way home.
The glass is inverted — to symbolize their inability to share this evening’s toast.
The chair is empty — they are missing — (silent moment) — and please remember their service and sacrifice.
Let us honor America’s POW/MIA’s and encourage our government to undertake successful efforts to account for them.