POW/MIA event includes 'Empty Chair'
BUTLER TWP — A special group of veterans and their families was honored at a luncheon Friday at the VA Butler Healthcare.
The VA's 25th annual Prisoner of War/Missing in Action event featured 20 former POWs, including Paul Simmer, 92, of Center Township.
Simmer was captured by Nazi Germany in North Africa during World War II and spent two years in a POW camp. He was in the U.S. Army.
At the luncheon, Bob Malec, a VA Telehealth coordinator, conducted the “MIA Empty Chair” ceremony. A table sat by itself on the auditorium stage, covered with a white tablecloth and set with a lit candle, a red rose and an upside down glass.
The small table was set for one, symbolizing the frailty of one prisoner against his oppressors. The tablecloth was white, symbolizing the purity of intentions and the single red rose reminded families and loved ones of comrades-in-arms while they keep the faith awaiting their return.
The red ribbon tied on the vase was reminiscent of the red ribbon worn on the lapel to demonstrate a proper accounting of missing veterans. The lit candle symbolized the unconquerable spirit. A slice of lemon on the bread plate represented a bitter fate, while the seal on the plate was symbolic of a family's tears. The glass was inverted because those missing cannot toast with others, and the chair was empty for they are not here.
For more information about VA Butler's POW program, contact POW Advocate Karen Gliebe at 724-285-2492 or Karen.Gliebe@va.gov.
