9/4/13 Memorial wall to Vietnam POW/MIA visits Killbuck

  • By Nick Sabo
  • September 4, 2013
  • 366
                        
A traveling memorial commemorating American prisoners of war and soldiers missing in action visited Killbuck during Early American Days Saturday August 31. The Rolling Thunder Ohio Chapter 5 POW/MIA Vietnam Memorial shared the square with other Early American Day activities but brought its own special message. Modeled after the Vietnam Memorial in Washington, D.C., the memorial contains the names of 137 Ohio POW/MIAs who lost their freedom or went missing in action in Vietnam. The Vietnam memorial lists the names of POW/MIA from 1959 to 1975. White dates etched into the wall next to the POW/MIA name indicate the year that remains have been identified and returned to their families. About half of the missing soldiers have been recovered. Rolling Thunder memorial chairman Paul Cline said it is important to remember the soldier’s families as well. “Think about the parents who have waited for years, think about the families of lost soldiers who are still wondering where their loved one is,” Cline said. The wall was put up in the morning, with a 45-minute long memorial that kicked off at 2 p.m. Prior to the memorial and after, Rolling Thunder chapter members encouraged visits to the wall and explained its significance. The wall travels with a photograph of MIA David Mason Sexton, placed there by his wife, Patricia Sexton. “Our son was born 15 minutes after my husband was reported MIA,” Sexton said. “Mine is just one of many stories here today.” David Mason’s remains have still not been located. The memorial featured a re-enactment of a POW rescue. Members of Rolling Thunder, some dressed in uniform, acted out visits to the wall by a veteran remembering lost comrades, and a mother, wife, and son to a soldier long since dead. Holmes County Veteran’s Services officer Jason Brooks spoke during the memorial and thanked Rolling Thunder for visiting the small town of Killbuck. Brooks said it is important to remember that POW/MIA come from all 50 states. “This is a special time for all of us to remember not just the names on this wall, but there are walls like these in all 50 states,” Brooks said. “The number of POW/MIA is astounding.” The memorial presentation was viewed by about 150 people, many of them veterans who posed for a photograph with the wall. Rolling Thunder is a national organization founded in 1987. It calls for full accountability for all POW/MIA by the U.S. government. KUTLINES: Nick Sabo photos Veterans with Rolling Thunder Ohio Chapter 5 salute after placing a wreath at the traveling Vietnam POW/MIA wall. Patricia Sexton, wife of an Ohio soldier missing in action in Vietnam, speaks to a Ashland County veteran’s group. The wall contains the names of 137 POW/MIA from Ohio.


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