Downtown DeRidder commemorates service members on National POW/MIA Day

DERIDDER, La. (KPLC) – National POW/MIA Day is commemorated nationwide to honor the courage of those who were prisoners of war and missing in action.

“The third Friday in September is designated by President Jimmy Carter in 1978 to remember those who were once held as prisoners of war and to remember those still listed as missing in action,” said Sonja Lambert, president auxiliary for VFW Post 3619.

In DeRidder, they began their vigil for the next 24 hours honoring the 24 POW/MIA service members from the state of Louisiana. One of them is a DeRidder service member.

“Sgt. Major Guillory attended George Washington Carver High School here in DeRidder. He was declared missing in action on June 12, 1967. After his second tour in Vietnam, he was shot down in a Raven helicopter and his body was not recovered or the Raven helicopter,” Lambert said.

Lambert shares why it’s important to remember those POWs and missing in action.

“My father being a veteran of World War II and Korea, I hold in my heart that we must remember those who were held as prisoners of war, but especially those who did not return home . We have to remember that those 80,000 men who are still missing from all the wars have families here, extended families and they fought and died for this country,” Lambert said.

Although today is set aside to commemorate these service members, Lambert wants the community to know one thing.

“These are our veterans that we owe, not just today, but we owe it to them every day, to remember those families of the fallen,” Lambert said.

Lambert says it’s our duty to keep working to bring those bodies home to rest and put in the ground they fought and died for.

If you would like to join them for the vigil over the next 24 hours, they will be in Downtown Deridder at the intersection of W. First Street and S. Washington until 4:00pm on Saturday, September 21st for the closing ceremony.

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