BLOOMFIELD – The National Stars & Stripes Museum & Library’s national mission is to communicate the inexpressible importance to us all of courageous, informed commitment & service.
Only vigilant, consistent ongoing commitment & service guarantee our lives and our freedom and only daily commitment to our families, our communities and the diligent self-governance which guarantees our democratic values will assure it.
In these recent weeks we see what we can only hope and pray is a rebirth of courage, will and commitment in human beings around the world, in the dawning realization that autocracy & dictatorship and accepting &/or appeasing them not only don’t guarantee our way of life, they potentially irreparably threaten it.
At this point of potentially existential importance to us as Americans & human beings and recognizing this April as the beginning of the 50th year since the last of our POWs were released from the horrors of North Vietnamese prisons, the National Stars & Stripes Museum & Library is proud to announce a series of POW/MIA Observances to commemorate that 50th anniversary.
We’re working with Representative Dave Griffith, head of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, Stan Shurmantine with the Mo. National Veterans Memorial, Tom Nations & the officers of the Perry Co. Military History Museum, the Perryville Am VETS & VFW posts, Blair Moran & the Sikeston American Legion, Tammy Smith and the Bloomfield State Military Cemetery, and many others to recognize extraordinary courage: of our POWs, of those who went to war for us and never come home and the commitment & service of human beings everywhere, then and at this moment, who are willing to fight their fears and fight for their and our freedom and our collective future.
82-year-old Col. John Clark of Columbia, Mo. after being shot down on an air mission, was imprisoned for more than six years in North Vietnam.
Thursday, April the 7th, he will join decorated Vietnam veteran & B-52 aviator, Wayne Wallingford, Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe, many legislators, National Stars & Stripes President, Brian Brooks & fellow board members & other local dignitaries & guests, at the Veterans Memorial at the state capitol in Jefferson City for a wreath laying observance, and a following luncheon at noted Jeff. City eatery, Madison’s Restaurant.
Friday, April 8th at 10:45 am., after a stay over in Ste. Genevieve, thanks to the Perryville Am Vets & the Main Street Inn, he and his wife will travel to Perryville to the Mo. National Veterans Memorial for a similar wreath laying ceremony featuring a planned color guard from Scott Air Force base. Wallingford and Col. Clark will speak there as well of what it takes to guard our freedoms. Perryville’s VFW will provide a live flower POW/MIA wreath & stand for the observance. We expect area state representatives and senators, potentially General officers from Scott Air Force Base & other dignitaries to attend and of course, we very much want our fellow citizens to come out to embrace & celebrate this observance & the reminder of courage, commitment & embrace of true citizenship which it exhibits to us all.
Immediately following, Col. Clark graciously has agreed to do a similar wreath laying at the Perry Co. Veterans Wall of Honor at the Perryville city park with the wreath provided by the Perry Co. Military History Museum.
Approximately 11:45 am. dignitaries & guests will join Col. Clark & his wife at Mary Jane’s restaurant off the Court House Square in Perryville for lunch.
At approximately 1 pm. a group of veteran bikers will join Col. Clark & others to process to the Bloomfield State Military Cemetery.
At approximately 3:15 pm. there will be wreath laying observance at the Bloomfield State Military Cemetery there featuring a color guard from the Military Cemetery and a wreath & stand provided by the Sikeston American Legion.
Following the observance, Col. Clark, guests & other visitors will go next door to the National Stars & Stripes Museum & Library for an informal reception & tour of the museum.
Col. Clark & other guests will then travel to Sikeston where at 7 pm. the Sikeston American Legion will hold a dinner for Col. Clark at the Fox Haven Country Club in Sikeston.
The Sikeston American Legion will also be providing accommodations for the Clarks that evening prior to their return to Columbia the morning of April 9th.
Commitment & service, courage & will do not eliminate fear. Our troops on the ground in Vietnam, in the air over Bosnia, in the streets of Mogadishu, Fallujah and operating out of Bagram; Col. Scott & John McCain, all of us were afraid, every day. But we knew then, we know with our heart, will & soul today, that fear is indicative of threat & the only response to threat is courage & commitment. We knew & know that when our lives, our families, our homes, our way of life are threatened, the only thing that we can possibly do is commit, as our forefathers committed: “our lives, our fortunes & our sacred honor”. Let us all gather to celebrate courageous commitment, April 7th & 8th and continue to do so all our lives.