Fort Rucker hosts POW/MIA ceremony

FORT RUCKER, Ala.—The Fort Rucker community gathered on National POW/MIA Recognition Day to honor the nation’s former prisoners of war and those who remain missing in action, across all branches of military service, during a ceremony at Veterans Park September 18.

The observance was established in 1979 through a proclamation signed by President Jimmy Carter. Each president since then has issued an annual proclamation commemorating the third Friday in September for the observance. On that day, the POW/MIA flag is required to be flown at designated federal government locations.

Maj. Gen. Phillip C. Baker, Aviation Center of Excellence and Fort Rucker commanding general, thanked guests for attending.

“We stand here this morning to fill a solemn and sacred duty honoring America’s servicemembers who were prisoners of war, and those who remain missing in action,” Baker said.

More than a date on the calendar, the observance is an opportunity to reaffirm the Nation’s promise: “We will not forget you. We will not abandon you. We will not stop working to bring you home,” Baker said.

“That promise is captured in four words: ‘You are not forgotten’. Those words appear beneath the silhouette on the POW/MIA flag. They speak to the prisoners who endured captivity. They speak to those who have never returned. And they speak to the families who lived…sometimes for generations without knowing what happened to someone they loved,” he said.

Baker noted that among the honored guests in attendance was former prisoner of war, retired Sgt. 1st Class Daniel Stamaris, who recently retired from federal service, and his spouse.

Stamaris was a crew chief on board a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter that was sent to recover a downed American pilot during Operation Desert Storm.

“His helicopter was shot down. Five members of the crew were killed. Dan was one of those survivors,” Baker said. “Badly injured, he was captured and held as a prisoner of war for eight days.”

“Sgt. 1st Class Stamaris, your presence reminds us that the prisoners of war are not figures from some distant chapter of history. They are Soldiers. They are members of our Army family. Their courage and service continue long after captivity has ended. Dan, we are honored by your presence. Thank you for your courage, your service and your continued commitment to our Soldiers,” Baker said.

Stamaris has assisted many of today's Soldiers by helping with Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape training.

Baker also spoke about Chief Warrant Officers David Williams and Ronald Young, members of a battalion he served with in the 1-227th Aviation Regiment, whose aircraft was forced down behind enemy lines during initial operations in Iraq. They attempted to evade, but were captured.

“The effect of their capture on our unit and myself is nearly indescribable,” Baker said. “The families in our unit could only wait.”

After more than three weeks of captivity, fortunately they were located by a Marine patrol.

He recalled the redeployment at Fort Hood, as he and his fellow Soldier approached the hanger where the families awaited them: “There at the edge of the hangar with the light behind them stood our returned POWs. They were standing at attention, they rendered a crisp salute, and they asked to rejoin the formation,” Baker said.

“Our battalion was fortunate. Our missing teammates were home,” Baker said.

Baker then spoke the standing up of the U.S. Army Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape School at Fort Rucker. He called for a group of Soldiers who are SERE students to stand in front of the crowd near him. The professional 21-day course trains Soldiers to survive in isolation, making them a less vulnerable target to the enemy, and includes academics and resistance training labs.

“We teach them, we mentor them, and then we put them through the harshest conditions to prepare them for combat,” Baker said.

In the course the Soldiers attempt to evade, are taken captive, and learn how to survive.

Baker explained the promise the nation makes to every Soldier:

“If you are captured, we will search for you. If you are missing, we will work to account for you. We will not forget,” he said.

“When you see the POW/MIA flag, remember the weight of the sacrifice. Remember the families who are still waiting. Remember that our responsibility continues to honor those who return, to support the families, and to account for those who remain missing,” he said. “A true team does not forget its missing members. It searches for them. It keeps faith with their families. It leaves a place in the formation for them, however long it takes.”

“For those who return from captivity, we honor your courage. For those who remain missing, we will continue to search. For the families who are still waiting, we stand with you. and to every American who has served in the defense of this nation, we reaffirm our promise: you are not forgotten,” Baker said.

During the ceremony, members of the Armed Forces were asked to stand as their respective service song played.

Ceremony attendee Retired Chief Warrant Officer 4 Bob Cooper, said he was mindful of Soldiers from the 240th Assault Helicopter Company he served with in Vietnam, who did not make it back home.

“As long as they’re remembered, I think they’re still serving,” Cooper said.

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