Honoring the missing

The table was set for five, but there was only one chair. Upon the white tablecloth sat five glasses, a rose in a vase, a candle with a black ribbon on it and a plate with a lemon and salt.

Friday was National Prisoner of War/Missing in Action Remembrance Day and around 250 community members gathered at the Christ the King Lutheran Church to honor the nation’s servicemen and women who never came home.

The church’s cafeteria went dead silent as the remembrance ceremony began, everyone paying close attention to the table on the podium.

Retired Col. of the U.S. Marine Corps. Jim Flowers narrated what each item on the table meant while retired Lt. Col. of the U.S. Marine Corps. Jim Mangan performed the ceremony.

Five hats were placed at each setting, one for each of the branches of the U.S. armed forces.

The white table cloth represented the purity of intentions soldiers go into war with. Each of the glasses were turned upside down to recognize the missing and the fallen could not take part in the night’s meal.

The rose stood for the blood many have shed for the freedoms of this country. The black ribbon on the candle represented the soldiers who are not coming home and the lit candle itself signified the everlasting hope of the families and friends they left behind.

The lemon represented the bitter fate of the missing and the salt stood for the tears of families as they wait for their loved ones to return.

The lone, empty chair made it clear the missing and the fallen were not present.

After the ceremony, guests were treated to a meal served by Boy Scout Troop 211.

Kevin Eaton, a 16-year-old Life Scout with the troop was glad to be at the second annual event. He was at the ceremony with his troop last year and said there were twice as many people who attended this year.

“The church does a lot for us, so it’s nice to give back,” he said. “Hearing about POWs and MIAs gives you a lot of respect for the people who save our country. We’re lucky to live in America where we have freedoms.”

Joan Ortmann of Coeur d’Alene attended the ceremony in honor of her husband and her parents. They were a military family and she was at last night’s ceremony to honor them and those who made the ultimate sacrifice.

“I believe the military and veterans are very important to our country,” she said. “I think we need to remember, always, the sacrifices they made - and that’s what this does.”

Kaytlyn and Alexyn Brenneman, 17 and 15 years-old respectively, attended the dinner and ceremony with their parents to honor their grandpa and uncle, both of whom served in the Navy.

“This is cool because you don’t learn a lot about the military,” Kaytlyn said. “This makes it more real.”

“You read about these things but you don’t actually see the people in the stories,” Alexyn added. “Being here and seeing their faces makes a difference.”

Across the table sat their uncle, Jim Gleaves. He served in the Navy prior to the Vietnam War.

“It’s incredible to honor the veterans and their stories,” he said. “Without this, you can look at them and not have any concept of what they went through.”

After dinner, John and Stacey Holley spoke about their life; after losing their son in Iraq they played essential roles in passing legislation so fallen service members are returned to their families in charter jets and met by honor guards.

John told the people gathered at the church that the ceremony, of which he has been to many, was the best and most meaningful he’d ever seen.

The Post Falls couple shared stories about their son and the sacrifice he made for his country.

“What he told his mom when he wanted to join the army was that he wanted to serve a cause bigger than himself,” John said. “That’s why he chose to be a medic; to help other who were hurting

“He is but one example of the character of the men and women who serve our nation.”