"MISSING MAN" FUNDRAISER HELD IN HONOR OF MIA'S/POW'S

I was witness to a heart wrenching and beautiful "missing man" ceremony at the John Eagle Honda Motorcycles on Hwy 290 & West Rd. The group Rolling Thunder had a MIA/POW flag raising ceremony and a motor cycle poker run/fundraiser. The crowd was an eclectic group of motor cyclists, soldiers, vets and the curious.

Rolling Thunder’s mission statement is: "To educate the public that many American prisoners of war were left behind after all previous wars, and to help correct the past and to protect future veterans from being left behind should they become Prisoners Of War or Missing In Action."

The “YOU ARE NOT FORGOTTEN” flag for MIA/POW is the only flag allowed to fly under the United States flag. The flag was ceremoniously handed from a club member to Desert Storm marine to Vietnam Veteran to World War II to Marines and raised with all the rituals due the event.

The “Missing Man Table & Honors Ceremony” was heart wrenching. As a mother, the part about the salt representing the tears of the parents grabbed my heart and squeezed. I was shooting photographs and trying not to cry, although I don’t think anyone would have noticed. The 102 degree heat made all of us look like tears were streaming down our faces.

A toast was made by Chaplain Steve Allison to honor America's POW/MIAs and to the success of our efforts to account for them. His voice, proud and emotional, explained the table setting and meanings.

“The table is round -- to show everlasting concern for our missing men. The white tablecloth - symbolizes purity of their motives when answering the call to duty. The single red rose, displayed in a vase, reminds us of the life of each of the missing, and their loved ones and friends of these Americans who keep the faith, awaiting answers. The vase is tied with a red ribbon, symbol of our continued determination to account for our missing. A slice of lemon on the bread plate is to remind us of the bitter fate of those captured and missing in a foreign land. A pinch of salt symbolizes the tears endured by those missing and their families who seek answers. The Bible represents the strength gained through faith to sustain those lost from our country, founded as one nation under God. The glass is inverted- to symbolize their inability to share this evening's toast. The chair is empty – symbolizing the missing.”

Representative Allen Fletcher gave the group a House resolution thanking the club and the military for their service. Don’t tell him I said this, but I thought his voice cracked with emotion a couple of times as he read the resolution aloud. As the club gifted Representative Fletcher with a leather vest, with patches of his district & elected office, he showed the crowd his son, Blake's, dog tags and described how proud he was of his son now serving as Military Police in Iraq.

Representative Debbie Riddle, also recipient of a vest, talked about her father being a Marine and fighting in the pacific during World War II.

Rolling Thunder®, Inc. is a Non-Profit organization and everyone donates his or her time because they believe in the POW-MIA issues that we are working on. You can find out more about the Rolling Thunder Houston Chapter and how to donate or get involved on their website: http://www.rollingthundertx2.com/.