Not being a VFW member, I was not aware of this tradition. I think it is a great tribute to the MIAs. Go VFW.
VFW's Silent Table' honors MIA's
By Staff Reporter
http://ridgecrestca.com/articles/2006/04/26/news/news05.txt The Silent Table, sometimes also known as The Missing Man Table is a memorial to all those who have been and are still Missing in Action. Each symbolic element, from the white tablecloth to the slice of lemon to the inverted glass, represents a specific hardship experienced by Prisoners of War and unaccounted for servicemen and women and their families. Daily Independent Photo By Lucinda Sue Crosby
Lucinda Sue Crosby/lcrosby@ridgecrestca.com
Gone but not forgotten. Never forgotten.
Indian Wells Valley members of the VFW will tell you how important it is to remember.
According to the National League of POW/MIA Families, when the last U.S. personnel were finally airlifted out of Vietnam, there were 2,583 unaccounted Americans considered to be either missing or killed in action. These haunting statistics were provided by the Defense POW/MIA Office.
As of March 23 of this year, over 1,800 are still listed as such by the Defense Department - most of whom disappeared somewhere in the jungles of Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia where Vietnamese forces operated during the war.
The Veterans of Foreign Wars is an organization dedicated to representing a variety of interests of men and women who have served our Military in far-flung places. Established in 1902 by those who had served in the Spanish American War, the VFW originally addressed the plight of needy veterans because no medical or legal aid was available even to those who had lost homes and/or jobs as a result of their volunteering to serve in the conflict.
Through the ensuing century, the VFW has continuously assisted veterans with regard to several areas, including health, education and monetary needs. One of the tasks undertaken by the group is a memorial to MIA's and POW's called the Silent Table.
As you entered the post home, you may have noticed a small table in a place of honor. It is set for one. This table is our way of symbolizing the fact that members of our profession of arms are missing from our midst. They are commonly called POWs or MIAs but we call them Brothers.' They are unable to be with us this evening and so, we remember them.
Desert Storm Vet, VFW member and local Ship No. 4084 Manager Allie Carpenter says that the Missing Man Table holds a lot of significance for her and her family.
My cousin was MIA in Vietnam, Carpenter said. His name is on the monument in Washington. Seeing the Table always reminds me of his sacrifice - and of so many other sacrifices made in the name of freedom. It is very, very significant to me.
So many of us sit down to dinner each night surrounded by our families. But the Table reminds us that there are people out there who might still be cold and lonely, still suffering, living in a cage or a cave - not knowing if anyone cares. Not knowing if someone is still looking for them. It reminds us never to forget ...
Gone but nor forgotten.
For more information about VFW membership and assistance programs, call Ship No. 4084 at (760) 375-4084.
Meanings of Silent Table elements
The Silent Table is a memorial established by the VFW as a way of honoring and remembering military men and women whose bodies have never been recovered and are listed as MIA/POW. One such Table sits in a prominent place in every VFW Ship or Post and each element about the Table has a specific meaning.
¬ The table is small and set for one - symbolizing the prisoner alone against his oppressors
¬ The white tablecloth - symbolizing the purity of his answer to America's call to arms
¬ The single red rose - a reminder of families and loved ones who still wait and wonder
¬ The red ribbon - an echo of the red ribbon worn by families and loved ones still demanding a proper accounting of the missing
¬ The lit candle - symbolizing the upward reach of unconquerable spirit
¬ The slice of lemon - a reminder of each one's bitter fate
¬ The salt - symbolic of the tears of families and loved ones as they wait
¬ The inverted glass - a reminder of those who can not toast with us
¬ The chair is empty.
Remember them, all of you who served with them and called them comrades, who depended upon their might and aid and relied upon them, for surely they have not forsaken you. May they never be forgotten and may they always hold a special place in our hearts and be a part of our daily lives and prayers.
