Team Edwards remembers America's missing, captured heroes with POW/MIA events Published Sept. 21, 2011 By Diane Betzler Staff writer EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- Team Edwards remembered and honored America's missing and captured servicemembers with a retreat ceremony on POW/MIA Recognition Day outside Air Force Flight Test Center headquarters building Sept. 16. "Today we recognize those who have fallen into the hands of our enemies and we renew our commitment to finding our brothers and sisters that are missing in action," said Brig. Gen. Robert C. Nolan II, AFFTC commander. POW/MIA Recognition Day is about America keeping that commitment through this special day of remembrance. The general said the day has been declared a day of remembrance, but it's a day without much fanfare. "This is not a national holiday. It's a day to honor those who have given so much on our behalf and to renew our bond to their families and friends." The observance is on the third Friday in September each year. The first commemoration held to honor POWs and MIAs took place at the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C., July 18, 1979 and is now observed across the country at military installations, schools, veterans' facilities and state capitols. Nolan said the September date to honor POWs and MIAs was selected because it was an insignificant date in history and was not associated with any specific war or combat action. He said, however, that the men and women in uniform today know the connection is much stronger. Because of a strange twist of fate, this insignificant date has become connected to the tragedy of 9/11, and the nation's longest military struggle. "As we have just passed the tenth anniversary of 9/11 we are reminded that men and women have always responded to our nation's call in times of crisis." Nolan asked those attending the Recognition Day gathering to remember that 125,000 servicemembers since World War I are still missing. He also asked attendees to remember all those who served this nation as prisoners of war. "Let us renew our commitment to provide the fullest possible accounting of every warrior who fought and died to preserve the freedom that we cherish. Let us also remember that 150,000 Americans Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines and Coast Guardsmen are serving overseas today on our behalf and that 165 of those men and women are from Edwards." Among the special guests at the POW/MIA Recognition Day gathering was former Korean War POW William Jones, who was held as prisoner in North Korea for 18 months; and Army veteran Geneva Ramey, whose husband, Samuel, was an Air Force WWII veteran and POW. Ramey passed away in 1996. Mrs. Ramey currently lives at the William J. "Pete" Knight Veterans Home in Lancaster. "It was a lovely ceremony, Ramey said. "I just keep wishing he [husband] could have been here," she said. Earlier in the day, leaders and others from the base had a luncheon at Club Muroc with veterans and residents from the William J. "Pete" Knight Veterans Home in Lancaster, Calif. The base also held a 5K run in the morning as part of the base's POW/MIA remembrance activities.