Cal State Long Beach held its seventh annual National Prisoners of War/Missing in Action (POW/MIA) Recognition Day to pay tribute to soldiers from past and present wars.
Supporters ranged from CSULB students to President F. King Alexander at the Veteran’s Flag Pole next to the Vietnam Memorial on Friday morning.
CSULB Veterans University Director Patrick O’Rourke introduced guest speaker, Lt. Col. Kurt A. Schlichter, who served during Desert Storm under the U.S. Army.
“Today we pay our respects to those who paid the ultimate price, not only to those who lost their lives, but to those who lived in enemy captivity and who remain missing in action,” he said.
Schlichter talked about the heroes behind the uniforms, one of them being Vice Adm. James Stockdale.
His first encounter with Stockdale occurred during an interview while Schlichter was attending college at UC San Diego.
Schlichter said Stockdale’s successful life as a Stanford professor after returning home from Vietnam as a POW for seven years was an “example in many ways.”
“[Admiral Stockdale] was a man who appreciated education, the same kind of education that CSULB is providing today,” Schlichter said. “He was a man that showed that education translated into real life under the harshest condition possible [during captivity].”
Schlichter also paid respects to Cmdr. Michael S. Speicher, a U.S. Navy pilot who was shot down during Desert Storm. Speicher was MIA for nearly 18 years before his body was retrieved and brought back to the U.S. in August.
To Schlicter, veterans offer a unique life experience that is greater than most students. He congratulated Chancellor Charles Reed and Alexander for the 500 student veterans who were enrolled at CSULB even before the new GI Bill benefits took effect in August. He also pushed the value of education.
“I’m very proud to be here today because I am a citizen soldier. Sure, I’ve served on active duty, but normally I’d be in a shirt and tie, maybe down at a court room, going through my life as an American citizen,” Schlicter said. “There’s so many other veterans that do the same thing everyday, but with the background of military service.”
As the event came to a close, CSULB’s brass sextet played the national anthem. Supporters placed their right hands over their hearts as they watched the color guard raise the flag.
President Alexander later shared his thoughts.
“We all enjoy what we have because of what [soldiers] have sacrificed for us, and we want them to know that we are here for them and will never forget what they have done for us,” he said.
VetNet Vice President Steve Dolan was among audience members who were there to both represent the student veteran organized network and support fellow soldiers who never returned home.
“It’s important that not only are there people who are injured and who come home with purple hearts, but there are people who are held in captivity and people who we still don’t know there whereabouts,” Dolan said. “It’s important to think of them.”
According to Troy Johnson, POW/MIA event director and CSULB professor, those who are still missing today include 11 civilian Iraq war campaign-contract employees, 1,319 soldiers from Vietnam, 8,057 from Korea and 78,000 from World War II.
“Those are huge numbers, and it’s very important that we always stop at some point to remember these people because these are sons, daughters, husbands, grandfathers, people who went away from home and never returned, and for a lot of families it’s hard to find closure,” Johnson said.