167th Airlift Wing event honors POW and MIA

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Tim Sencindiver
  • 167th Airlift Wing

A POW/MIA 12 Hour Remembrance Run/Walk was held during the 167th Airlift Wing’s October’s unit training assembly, Martinsburg, W.Va., Oct. 2. 

As a tribute to Prisoners Of War and those Missing In Action participants ran or walked as a flag-bearing group, displaying the U.S., POW/MIA and West Virginia flags for the duration of the event.

 

Chief Master Sgt. Jason Meacham, 167th Mission Support Group and Headquarters senior enlisted leader, coordinated the event.

 In 2005 while deployed, Meacham said he was asked to organize a similar POW/MIA run. 

Ever since then Meacham said he has wanted members of the 167th Airlift Wing to embrace the tradition.

Approximately 65 volunteers staffed the event and 223 members of the unit participated in one or more 15-minute increments to guarantee the flags stayed in motion.

“It’s a very good thing to do, it helps the wing come together and move forward towards something great,” said Meacham.

“It gives me a lot of pride to memorialize, those who are still missing, and those who were prisoners of war,” said Colonel Bill Annie, 167th Mission Support Group commander whose uncle was a POW during World War II.

“We’re keeping faith with the families,” said Annie, “We’re still remembering them, years later.”

More information for POW and MIA can be found on the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency’s website which currently lists more than 81,900 Americans still missing from Vietnam War, the Cold War, the Korean War, and World II.