FEWER EX-POWS LEFT TO BE HONORED.Byline: DENNIS McCARTHY Dennis McCarthy may refer to:
As prisoners of war prisoners of war, in international law, persons captured by a belligerent while fighting in the military. International law includes rules on the treatment of prisoners of war but extends protection only to combatants. they experienced some of the worst torture and brutality endured in conflict, coming home with broken bodies that never really healed. But there was nothing wrong with their courage or resolve. These veterans spent years living on one bowl of rice and a cup of water a day. When they were too weak for forced labor, they were beaten, then beaten some more. They are our ex-POWs from World War II, Korea, and Vietnam - some 39,000 of them still living. Today is supposed to be their day - the third Friday of every September that Congress declared POW/MIA POW/MIA Prisoner Of War/Missing In Action Recognition Day eight years ago. Yeah, I know. You didn't have a clue. Most people don't, unless they have a loved one who is a POW or still listed as missing in action. ``It's a pretty sad commentary, but we're used to it,'' says Harry Corre, state commander of American Ex-Prisoners of War American Ex-Prisoners of War is a service organization based in Arlington, Texas, which was founded in 1942 and chartered by the United States Congress in 1982. The organization attempts to assist the surviving POWs, many of whom are elderly and/or have psychic scars and longterm . ``If you stopped a thousand people on the street, maybe one would know what today is.'' Then again, maybe one is shooting too high, he added. Corre was among the half-dozen former POWs attending Thursday's ceremony at the Sepulveda VA in North Hills. Martin Christie of West Hills, a Marine Corps sergeant in World War II who spent 3 1/2 years as a Japanese prisoner of war PRISONER OF WAR. One who has been captured while fighting under the banner of some state. He is a prisoner, although never confined in a prison. 2. In modern times, prisoners are treated with more humanity than formerly; the individual captor has now no , was there. So was Bill Sanchez of Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. , who spent more than three years in a Japanese labor camp Noun 1. labor camp - a penal institution for political prisoners who are used as forced labor labour camp camp - a penal institution (often for forced labor); "China has many camps for political prisoners" in the Philippines. All had endured torture and brutality, and they say there isn't a bone in their bodies that does not still feel it today. The hourlong ceremony was a moving tribute to all POWs and to the more than 88,000 combat veterans from all wars still listed as MIA MIA n. A member of the armed services who is reported missing following a combat mission and whose status as to injury, capture, or death is unknown. [m(issing) i(n) a(ction). , most of them - 78,773 - from World War II. But looking around this Veterans Affairs recreation room with a few hundred people in it, you couldn't help but notice they all had white hair. They were all from Tom Brokaw's Greatest Generation, or pretty close. At this rate, the ex-POWS noted, this day the country sets aside to honor them will last about another five or 10 years before it's completely forgotten. The numbers don't lie. In 1999, 49,379 ex-POWs from WWII WWII abbr. World War II WWII World War Two were still alive. Four years later, the number has dropped to 36,145. When they're gone, who will remember them? ``We had invited a classroom of local middle school students to come, but they had something else scheduled Thursday and didn't want to change it,'' Christie said. The ex-POWs would love to see more school kids get a little history lesson today - but so far no schools have taken them up on the offer. ``We've offered to go out to the schools and talk to the kids in the classroom or auditorium, but for some reason or another, none of the schools (has) ever called back inviting us,'' Christie said. And that's a national shame because these men are an important part of our history. Considering what they went through for our freedom - and why - this should be a mandatory education opportunity, not optional. As Chuck Dorman, acting director of the Sepulveda VA said, ``You keep the home fires burning Keep the Home Fires Burning song of love of home popular during World War I. [Music: Scholes, 549] See : Domesticity for those still missing in action.'' When those fires die out, who will remember exactly what group it was that Congress wants us to recognize on the third Friday of September? A POW/MIA Recognition Day candlelight ceremony at 7 o'clock tonight will be held by Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2323 at the Memorial Monument, Zelzah Avenue and Chatsworth Street, Granada Hills. Dennis McCarthy, (818) 713-3749 dennis.mccarthy(at)dailynews.com CAPTION(S): photo Photo: Ex-POW Martin Christie of West Hills speaks at Thursday's ceremony to honor POWs and MIAs at Sepulveda VA Recreation Hall in North Hills. Gus Ruelas/Staff Photographer |
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