Today I was in awe to be sitting with former POWs who came together to speak and remember at this ceremony showing tribute to our POWS and MIAs. These men and women serve as a reminder of the terrible cost of war. Over 142,000 POWs have made sacrifices that have included life and limb .And today there are over 90,000 US Service members still unaccounted for, and everyday those families of the missing still hold them close in memory.For these families there is no joyous return , there is no grave site to visit , there is only hope.
I was honored today to listen to a former civilian POW from WW2 , Mrs. Rachel Block ." Today 67 years ago , I was tortured." I will never forget that statement.Looking into her eyes as she spoke , listening to her story as she recanted how she and her brothers and sisters were taken from their village and moved to an internment camp in the Philippines and how she was tortured having her nails pulled from her fingers and toes. Having her hands beaten and broke and how they left her and her siblings sleeping in red ant hills in the sun for 4 years until the Americans, came to rescue them. She spoke directly to the core in every single person sitting in the audience and asked with the up most conviction of the young people " Believe in yourself, believe in God" At the end of the ceremony she showed us a set of dog tags that she had brought back from her recent trip back to the interment camp . The tags belonged to CPL. Douglas Thompson and she had found them at a museum and persuaded the owner to allow her to "bring them home". She presented these tags to the Director of the Department of Military Affairs .
Amid all the uncertainties of war, every Soldier is entitled to one thing, they will never be forgotten.We should never forget our duty to bring home our POWs and MIAs. God Bless America, and God Bless those who love, guard and defend our precious freedom.
I was honored today to listen to a former civilian POW from WW2 , Mrs. Rachel Block ." Today 67 years ago , I was tortured." I will never forget that statement.Looking into her eyes as she spoke , listening to her story as she recanted how she and her brothers and sisters were taken from their village and moved to an internment camp in the Philippines and how she was tortured having her nails pulled from her fingers and toes. Having her hands beaten and broke and how they left her and her siblings sleeping in red ant hills in the sun for 4 years until the Americans, came to rescue them. She spoke directly to the core in every single person sitting in the audience and asked with the up most conviction of the young people " Believe in yourself, believe in God" At the end of the ceremony she showed us a set of dog tags that she had brought back from her recent trip back to the interment camp . The tags belonged to CPL. Douglas Thompson and she had found them at a museum and persuaded the owner to allow her to "bring them home". She presented these tags to the Director of the Department of Military Affairs .
Amid all the uncertainties of war, every Soldier is entitled to one thing, they will never be forgotten.We should never forget our duty to bring home our POWs and MIAs. God Bless America, and God Bless those who love, guard and defend our precious freedom.
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