The Prisoner of War/Missing in Action Recognition Day will take place Sept. 15.
The issue of our POWs and MIAs remain as powerful as ever. Thousands of POW/MIAs remain unaccounted for since World War I, to include our current conflict in Iraq. Many organizations remain committed in finding, retrieving and bringing home those left behind.
Organizations such as The Rolling Thunder, The American Legion Riders, National League of POW/MIA Families, POW/MIA Freedom Fighters, The Advocacy and Intelligence Index for POW-MIAs Inc. and others have admirably kept the issue of the POW/MIAs alive and have aggressively fought for legislation to make our government accountable for our missing servicemen.
One international group, The Vietnam Vets Motorcycle Club in Freedom (www.vnvmcfreedom.com) has joined in the effort to bring their comrades home. This group has been in existence for more than 20 years, led by Terry "Hutch" Hutchinson, who served in Vietnam in 1966-67 with the U.S. Army E-5, 25th Infantry Division, 12th Evac.
The passion that drives this group is more than personal, said Hutchinson. It's about brotherhood. "Our prime directive is to do everything within our power to bring our POW/MIA brothers home, and to insist that our government provide accountability for each of those patriots," he said. "Members of the Vietnam Vets MC continue to honor our solemn oath to defend and protect the constitution of the United States against all enemies both foreign and domestic."
The question of the fate of our POWs and MIAs deserves to be answered. It is offensive to the POW/MIA families that our country moves forward diplomatically with countries that have not been more forthcoming with answers, or have not allowed for a proper search to take place for missing Americans.
Those feelings are echoed by Hutchinson. "The POW/MIA issue is still important because there are still live POWs. Our government has, since WWII, left American soldiers in the enemy's hands. The American people can and should write their senator and congressman, imploring them to forget any political reasons and open negotiations with Vietnam as soon as possible.
"They can go to http://www.missingpresumeddead.com/ and read about the search for Roger Dumas, a Korea POW, by his brother Bob. It examines the neglect by this government of our POWs of WWII, Korea and Vietnam. If they are not involved before seeing the DVD of this story, they will be afterwards. Fly the POW/MIA flag and get others to do the same. We donate POW/MIA flags to businesses that will fly them."
The POW/MIA flag remains a thought-provoking symbol that has endured since 1971 thanks to Mrs. Michael Hoff, an MIA wife and member of the National League of Families. On March 8, 1989, an official flag flew over the White House and was installed in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda during the 100th Congress.
The search for POWs and MIAs is an unfinished promise of honor that these veteran groups owe to their missing comrades. It is an unspoken code to simply watch out for and take care of one another. This is not just about comradeship, or brotherhood, but something much deeper.
These veterans may not be related in blood, and they don't have to be. They have shared food, traded stories, fought side by side in battle. Some have died in each other's arms. Let's put aside where they come from, race, religion and political affiliation, because they never cared about that. They were and remain a family.
POWs and MIAs are not urban myths. To those who continue to believe in their return, whether alive or deceased, they will never be forgotten. They are Americans and they deserve to come home -- because no one leaves family behind.
Homefront Journal Donna Teresa gets behind the hard-fought, committed search for POWs and MIAs, which for many veteran groups is an unfinished promise of honor that they owe to their missing comrades. To read Teresa's column, go to montereyherald.com. http://www.montereyherald.com/mld/montereyherald/ news/local/15449685.htm
Disclaimer: The opinions in this article are solely those of the writer, and may not reflect the beliefs of anyone at the Biker News Network/Outlaw Biker World.
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