Across the country, VA medical centers and partners gathered to honor America’s prisoners of war (POWs) and those still missing in action (MIA). From James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital in Tampa, Florida, to the Southern Arizona VA Health Care System in Tucson, Veterans, staff,and community members joined together to pay tribute, reflect and recommit to the promise: You are not forgotten.
At James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital, the ceremony included an invocation, a presentation of the colors, the National Anthem and a symbolic Missing Comrade Table Ceremony led by Veterans from the Building Recovery and Achieving Veterans Empowerment (BRAVE) program. Attendees joined in a collective toast, lifting water glasses in honor of POW/MIAs. “This table, set for one, is small—symbolizing the frailty of one prisoner alone against his oppressors. “Remember!” a Veteran declared during the ceremony.
Meanwhile, in Tucson, the Southern Arizona VA Health Care System partnered with Davis-Monthan Air Force Base to host its annual remembrance at the historic Pima Air and Space Museum. Interim Director Maria Nguyen reminded attendees of the solemn reality: more than 81,000 service members remain missing from past conflicts. The event featured a powerful keynote by Harvey Horne, a 101-year-old former POW, whose story of survival and resilience inspired the audience.
Honoring sacrifice, inspiring generations
Both ceremonies underscored the importance of remembrance in uniting communities and honoring service. Chaplains, directors and commanders spoke of the nation’s sacred duty to continue the search for the missing. “Until the day they come home, we will never forget,” Chaplain Joseph Chacko reminded those in Tampa. In Tucson, Col. Jose Cabrera, Davis-Monthan AFB commander, emphasized the power of personal testimony: “Not only will you inspire all of us to continue service, but you are living proof that we truly stand on the shoulders of giants.”
From solemn prayers to the playing of “Amazing Grace,” these ceremonies echoed a shared message across VA facilities nationwide: remembrance is not a single day, but a lifelong promise to those who served and sacrificed.
