VFW Allen- Cook Post 4995 honors the missing on National POW/MIA Day

Sep. 16—THOMASVILLE- The VFW Allen-Cook Post 4995 honored their brother and sister veterans on Friday afternoon at Fallin's Barbecue for National POW/MIA Day. The Post provided all diners with a "Buddy" Poppy and had the Missing Man Table situated at the front of the restaurant for all to pay their respects to.

According to the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, 83,114 Americans who fought in foreign wars are still missing, including approximately 73,515 from World War II, 7,841 from the Korean War and 1,626 from Vietnam.

For VFW Post 4995 Retired Sgt. Major Lyndall Knight, these numbers are a stark reminder of the men from Thomasville who went off to fight for the Rose City and were captured as Prisoners of War.

Knight specifically recalled Harris Dollar, who left with the National Guard in 1942.

"He worked through the ranks, was a Platoon Sergeant, and was captured at the Battle of the Bulge," Knight said. "He spent the last part of the war, from December '44- 45 in a POW Camp."

Knight also recalled a gentleman from Thomasville who was reported as KIA (killed in action).

"His wife got a notification that he was a KIA and then at the end of the war, he showed up," Knight said.

Senior Vice Commander of VFW Post 4995 John Bojanac and Knight also recalled one final individual, who was a B17 pilot and was hidden underground by the French Resistance for 8 months.

"They put him on a train to go to the seaport to catch a boat going out, but something happened, because the Germans controlled the gas for the fishing boats, so he had to get back on a train and pretend to read a newspaper, because he was sitting right next to the German Gestapo," Knight said.

While all of these men were older than Knight, he grew up watching them return home and hearing their stories.

"This day means we do not need to forget the MIAs," he said. "It's very important to me that we don't give up trying to find our missings."

In fact, the Allen-Cook Post name pays homage to a missing man.

"He was a Marine Corps. Pilot and disappeared in the South Pacific in late '42," Knight said. "His body was never recovered, but he has a headstone in Laurel Hill (Cemetery) out here."

To pay respects to those MIA, the Missing Man Table was located inside Fallin's. According to the War Memorial Center, each item on the Missing Man Table represents the emotions and feelings reserved for those who did not come home.

The table is round to show everlasting concern for missing men, while the cloth is white, symbolizing the purity of the missings' motives when they answered the call to serve.

The single red rose reminds individuals of the lives of these Americans and their loved ones and friends, who keep the faith while seeking answers. The red ribbon symbolizes the continued determination to account for the missing.

The single slice of lemon reminds everyone of the captured's bitter fate; captured and missing in a foreign land. A pinch of salt symbolizes the tears of the missing and their families, who long for answers after decades of uncertainty.

The lighted candle reflects hope for the missing's return, alive or dead and the Bible represents the strength gained through faith to sustain veterans and those lost from the USA, founded as one nation under God.

The glass in inverted, symbolizing the missing's inability to share a toast, while the chair is empty and will remain the seat at the table that is always unclaimed.

While it was a somber day for the VFW, it also served as a membership drive. Both Bojanac and Knight would love to see younger veterans become involved in these remembrances both on National POW/MIA Day and during Memorial Day, when they place flags at every Veteran's headstone.

Knight encourages anyone interested to reach out to the VFW through their Facebook page or by emailing him at bldmaint@rose.net.