The 9.15.2023 Vietnam Veterans of America POW/MIA Recognition Day Ceremony in Fall River, Massachusetts, honored service members who remain prisoners of war or missing in action. The event commenced with the Pledge of Allegiance and the National Anthem, sung by Lucy, followed by an opening prayer delivered by Richard Benavides. Justin Latini, Regional Director of the Vietnam Veterans of America National office, spoke about the ceremony's simplicity and the historical evolution of VVA 207 events, which have been held at various locations including Battleship Cove, Kennedy Park, and City Hall, before returning to the wall. He highlighted that nearly 82,000 servicemen remain unaccounted for from various conflicts, including 1,579 from the Vietnam War, and shared a recent success in identifying Captain Ralph Shipman, whose remains were found on August 8, 2023. Harry Tripp then read a proclamation from President Joseph R. Biden Jr., officially designating September 15, 2023, as National POW/MIA Recognition Day, emphasizing the nation's commitment to finding missing service members and honoring former POWs. The ceremony included a solemn reading of the names of 15 Massachusetts service members still missing, performed by Don Albert, with an honor guard confirming each individual as "still missing." The event concluded with a closing prayer from Richard Benavides, who thanked attendees and reiterated VVA 207's ongoing commitment to their mission, announcing that the next year would mark their 33rd ceremony.
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on a guide to the ready please stand we're gonna salute the flag I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands one nation under God indivisible with liberty and justice for all please remain standing while we have the National Anthem sung by Lucy
0:45can you see by the dawn's early light what's so proudly we hail at the Twilight last gleaming whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight or the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming and the rockets red glare the bombs bursting in air gave proof through the night that our flag was still there oh say does that Star Spangled Banner yet wait for the last of the free
1:53and the home of the brave
2:06at this time I would like to bring up Richard Benavides for the opening prayer
2:20uncover almighty god father of us all we your servants turn to you for continuance of your blessings upon us you who have spared US veterans from the grasp of our enemies grant us the full understanding of your precious comfort we thank you for the Privileges of life and the blessings we enjoy through your graciousness in our country to land in which we are given the freedom of speech
3:03religion and a Pursuit of Happiness assist us to know you better and the wisdom to acknowledge you as the god of the universe and our ideal in your mercy may we the living find our peace grant us from Above This Day the challenge of high Endeavor the beauty of a humble Spirit the strong courage and will without exertion to continue to glorify you to praise you and to love you to the end of time amen
3:53please be seated
4:04good afternoon fellow veterans my name is Justin latini I am now the regional director of Vietnam veterans from America National office before I get begin I'll let you know that you won't see an empty chair or a table with items of our missing our ceremony is that of simplicity I have recently met with a pow at a conf at our conference last month Bill Robinson pilot who shot down in 1965 and was released in 1973.
4:41it is a fellow pow of last year's guest Fred Puritan also a Vietnam veteran who served time at the Hanoi Hilton after speaking with him regarding these ceremonies both men agreed that it's not about the items on display or how many speakers you have but that the ceremony is held I explain that we read the names of the Massachusetts Vietnam veterans who are still missing he smiled and said do what you feel is
5:10right and continue doing it to let the families and those veterans that come after you know that these men will never be forgotten so today Viet not vva 207 is returning back to our traditional ceremony I have found documents baiting dating back to 1972 at Battleship Cove when one of the first 207 ceremonies took place these ceremonies moved to Kennedy Park in the 90s and when I arrived at 207 in 19 in 2009
5:41we were still at Kennedy Park in 2015 vva 207 moved to City Hall and had first co-hosted the event with the veteran service officer and two years ago when this wall was completed 207 came home to hold our second event here Vietnam Remembrance Day in March and today the Mia pow day we do not fire a military salute or sound Taps as our brothers are still unaccounted for They will receive their honors when they
6:17return home today nearly 82 000 servicemen remain unaccounted for from the conflicts dating back to the World War II and more than 72 000 of those lost during 78 World War II 8 000 from the Korean War and 1579 remain unaccounted from the Vietnam War I would like to share something that recently occurred at our Vietnam veterans Initiative Program at our national conference this Initiative
6:49Program is the United States working with the Vietnam government to return on on missing recently one of our hardened vva members Grant cope the chairman of the committee recently returned after his seventh mission to locate a soldier in Vietnam he said he sat many times around the table looking across where Vietnam's North Vietnam soldiers and government agents he said he was angry suddenly this time a North Vietnam
7:19soldier turned to him and said we killed a lot of your friends and you killed a lot of mine it was our duty as our government directed us as your government directed you to kill mine but now we must come together to find our friends and families to bring them home to be buried it was the first time he saw them as humans he recalls the anger of 50 years
7:44plus was gone it took him looking into another man's eyes and not his enemy to realize that although we may not all although we may not all they may not all return due to where they died at sea or in rivers we will never forget them ceremonies like this one will ensure our country will never stop looking also at that meeting at the end of the uh breakout session of the powmia a
8:16gentleman from Colorado walked up and asked if he could speak and he withdrew from his pocket a plastic bag and there were three dog tags and a piece of paper inside and he explained to us that the man who wrote ran his VFW in Colorado was a Vietnamese man and his brother who lives in Vietnam was dying and he sent the dog tags on the map to him and asked if these could be returned
8:40so that the families would be able to find their buried soldiers this is what the Vietnam initiative is able to do we were able to locate our missing and on August 8th of this year while I was at the convention and at that seminar it was revealed that captain Ralph Shipman a marine pilot call sign tiny09 had been found in his remains are on the way home we still have 1578 missing
9:16I recently also heard a quote that said our country without soldiers is like God without his angels it's important that every year we remember those who are still missing and it's important for us to recognize today those here in Massachusetts who are still missing so at this time I would like to call up Harry Tripp to read the proclamation
9:58thank you oops from Bellow wood to the Battle of the Bulge Korea to Vietnam Afghanistan to Iraq and around the world American Patriots have dared all risked all and given all to defend our nation and protect our liberties now and always we honor their service Valor and sacrifice sorry I gotta look at the helicopter it's in bread sorry we we also continue the righteous work of bringing home our heroes Who Remain
10:41unaccounted for on National pow Mii recognition day we pledge to seek out answers for the families of service members still missing in action we commit to doing all in our power to identify and recover America's missing sons and daughters and we pay tribute to former prisoners of War individuals who exhibited remarkable courage love of country and Devotion to duty to protect our nation's safety and Freedoms
11:14today and every day we fly the iconic black and white flag symbolizing America's prisoners of war and missing an action above the White House at the United States Capitol on military bases at memorials and cemeteries and at homes across America it is a reminder that we have not forgotten the heroism of our pows and Mias that we are still hoping for their return there is no undertaking more fundamental
11:44than the right of remembrance and there is no act more sacred a more American than Keeping the Faith with those who have sacrificed so much for our nation on this day of heartache and resolve let us offer strength to the families still waiting for the return of their loved ones let us extend our gratitude to Americans and international Partners working tirelessly to bring home our missing
12:14service members from their prior conflicts and let us remember that freedom is never free that democracy always requires Champions and that we owe an eternal debt to the heroes of our Armed Forces now therefore I Joseph R Biden Jr president of the United States of America by virtue of the authority vested by the Constitution in the law of the United States to hereby Proclaim September 15 2023 as National pow Mia
12:47recognition day along with my fellow Americans I salute former pows who overcame unspeakable indignities to return home with honor we will work tirelessly to provide the families of those who have yet to come home the fullest possible measure of accounting I urge all Americans to observe This Day of Honor and Remembrance with appropriate ceremonies and activities in witness thereof I have Heron to set
13:20my hand this 15th day of September in the year of Our Lord 2023 and of the independence of the United States of America the 248th Joseph R Biden Jr thank you at this time I'm going to call up Don Albert who's going to read the names of the Massachusetts Mias as he reads the name one of the honor God behind me will step forward and they will report the individual is still missing
14:02we will continue until the list is exhausted
14:14let me get out of here
14:32Bruce R Baxter
14:42Russell p bot deverton C Cochran
14:59Joseph he done
15:09Robert D Hower John R hen Jr Henry H Heron Jr David H Holmes Gerard F Kinsman Henry e McCann action sir James a Magnuson Jr Arthur v McLaughlin Jr Richard G more in it William F Mullen in the last name John F overlock
16:42we'll close today's ceremony with a closing prayer but before we do just want to uh thank those who came out today sometimes it's difficult to get to these events we appreciate it and 207 will continue to hold our events until our last man standing this time Richard Benavides will have a closing prayer
17:23Heavenly Father the table is set in our post home in memory of our brothers who answered the call of you dear Lord against the tyranny of mankind we ask you send them understanding love hope and a realization that we veterans have not forgotten them and continue to work for their accounting and return amen for our brothers forever missing may they reside in your kingdom for our brother still held in captivity
18:10may your light of Truth guide them and keep them whole for the families waiting for resolve may they understand and find your inner peace these things we ask in your name
18:34thank you very much we hope to see you next year for our 33rd uh ceremony thank you very much that ends today's event