Travis honors POW/MIA service members

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. James Hodgman
  • 60th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs

TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – They fought to defend freedom far from America’s shores. Many were taken prisoner by enemy combatants and thousands remain unaccounted for. These service members are known as prisoners of war and missing in action.

Airmen at Travis Air Force Base, California, honored America’s POW/MIA service members with a 24-hour remembrance run, which began Sept. 20 at 1:30 p.m. and concluded on POW/MIA Recognition Day, Sept. 21 in front of 60th Air Mobility Wing headquarters.

“The purpose of the POW/MIA events, is to remember the heroes who came before us and to honor their sacrifice and their loved ones sacrifice for our country,” said Senior Master Sgt. Loretta Washington, 60th Medical Support Squadron TRICARE Operations and Patient Administration flight chief and the chairperson of the POW/MIA Committee. 

The run brought 1,000 people together, including active-duty service members, reservists, veterans and family members to support a great cause, said Washington.

“We even had a mother out there walking with her two little girls to remember their great grandfather,” she added. “I hope our Travis community never forgets the sacrifices of those who we still look for today and appreciate the ones who are still with us.”

The Travis Chief’s Group delivered the POW/MIA and American flags to a small stage near the base flagpole where a crowd of veterans, former POWs and families gathered for a commemorative ceremony.

The ceremony featured the singing of the National Anthem, patriotic music, an invocation and guest speakers.

“Today, we remember the many who have protected the United States and defended our rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness,” said Capt. Bret Lortie, a 60th Air Mobility Wing chaplain. “We remember service men and women who have put their lives in danger and we remember service men and women who are still in danger. We recognize those among us who have been prisoners of war. We are grateful for their return.

“On this day we focus our prayers on those who are still missing, both uniformed members and American civilians,” he said. “May all Americans take time to remember and rededicate ourselves to the principles that make this country what it is.”

Retired U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Ted Cadwallader, shared his experience as a prisoner of the Japanese at the young age of 3, after the city of Manila in the Philippines was overrun during World War II.

“The war saw the disruption of life for millions of people and over 130,000 Americans were held as POWs during the war,” he said. “The Japanese also imprisoned 14,000 American civilians, including children. You are looking at one of those internees.”

Two weeks after the attack on Pearl Harbor, Japanese forces invaded Manila and quickly took over the city. Cadwallader was one of thousands who were forcibly removed from their homes to an internment camp at the University of Santo Tomas. He spent more than three years in captivity.

“We suffered in our camp, but military POWs were treated far worse,” he said. “They were beaten, denied food and murdered.”

Cadwallader and thousands of others were rescued when the University of Santo Tomas internment camp was liberated by American forces on Feb. 3, 1945.

“We were incredibly enthused,” he said. “Many of us screamed and others burst into tears.”

Cadwallader said he was so excited, he ran to the U.S. Army’s 1st Cavalry Division Soldiers, who at the time, were about 20 feet from the building he was forced to call home.

“Thank you,” he said to everyone who was a part of that mission.

Col. Matthew Leard, 60th AMW vice commander, stressed to all in attendance that the search for America’s missing will never end.

“It’s been said that you die twice; once when you stop breathing and a second time when someone says your name for the last time,” he said. “We will not forget our MIA service members. We will search all corners of the globe for you, we will commit our resources to find you and we will put our own lives at risk to bring you back.

“There’s no other nation that puts the amount of resources toward the return of our service men and women as we do,” he added. “No other nation asks so much of our military in defense of our freedom and freedom worldwide as we do. Our commitment to bring them home is unwavering and, if they indeed have taken their last breath, we are committed to ensuring they never experience a second death where their nation forgets them.”

Prior to the ceremony, the Travis Heritage Center unveiled a Vietnam War POW/MIA exhibit featuring a small prison cell, numerous photographs of POW life and photos of Operation Homecoming, which was a mission to bring home 591 American POWs. Travis welcomed the first 20 former POWs home in February of 1973.

According to the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, more than 82,000 service members are still MIA. For more information on the search for these unaccounted service members, visit the DPAA website at www.dpaa.mil/.