Cecil Air and Spaceport, Florida
Saturday Morning 18 Jan 2020

 National POW-MIA Memorial & Museum Groundbreaking Ceremony PHASE 1

REMEMBER-HONOR-EDUCATE 

Our Solemn Obligation Never to Leave a Service Member Behind

The National POW-MIA Memorial & Museum has been designed to be a historic and key destination site for our entire nation. It has the sacred mission-  “To honor all former prisoners of war; and, to never forget those missing in action heroes and the families who seek their return”.  There are approximately 82,000 American Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Coast Guardsmen, Marines, Merchant Marines and civilians who remain listed as MIAs and “unaccounted for” since WW II and who have never returned to American soil.

A large crowd consisting of hundreds of individuals from active-duty and veteran, governmental, civic and community-service organizations, such as Clubs from Rotary International District 6970, along with POW survivors and MIA / Gold Star families gathered today both inside and outside of the Chapel of The High-Speed Pass (recently restored & refurbished back as a working chapel), located on the POW-MIA Parkway, to participate in honoring our gallant patriots and their families at the ground breaking ceremonies at the hallowed grounds of this 26 acre site adjacent to the Cecil Air and Space Port.

To pay tribute and show reverence to this very special group of military veterans and their families, including the Family of Mary Helen Hoff who was the long-time resident of the Jacksonville area who inspired the creation of the POW/MIA Flag honoring military personnel taken as prisoners of war or listed as missing in action, Rotarians from the North Jacksonville Club prepared and served lunch to the attendees. In 1970, Mrs. Hoff had recently given birth to her fifth child when her husband, Navy Cmdr. Michael G. Hoff, was shot down in combat during the Vietnam War.

Pat Mulvihill
Advisory Board Member
National POW-MIA
Memorial & Museum