4th FW holds 2013 POW/MIA Remembrance Ceremony

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Chuck Broadway
  • 4th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
SEYMOUR JOHNSON AIR FORCE BASE, N.C. --  The 4th Fighter Wing held the 2013 POW/MIA Remembrance Ceremony here Sept. 20 to pay tribute to Service members who were taken prisoner of war or went missing in action.

The ceremony included a reading of the Loneliest Prayer, the military Code of Conduct, a retreat ceremony and speeches from retired Army Lt. Col. Ray Schrump, a Vietnam War POW and Col. Lamar Pettus, 4th FW vice commander.

Schrump addressed the crowd and spoke emotionally about his five years as a POW from 1968 until 1973. Breaking down in tears as he discussed the events surrounding his capture, Schrump spoke about a young lieutenant who risked his own life to save him. He also discussed the harsh conditions endured while battling disease, starvation and neglect.

"I was chained like an animal the entire time I was a prisoner," he said. "We were given a small portion of rice and a canteen of water every other day. Sometimes we were denied bathroom privileges and forced to live in our own filth."

Beatings, forced transfers and propaganda were also used against Schrump to dampen his spirit in an attempt to enhance the Viet Cong's fight against the U.S.

Schrump said his captors had contacted his family and showed a letter from them which motivated him to return home. With this motivation, he said he never gave up hope and is thankful for all those who helped bring him home.

"I attribute my homecoming to my faith in God, my faith in my country and my faith in my fellow Service members," Schrump said. "I cannot begin to tell you my love for this country. I don't have the words to describe it and I will do everything in my power to repay the American people for their support and prayers."

After Schrump thanked the Airmen and their families in attendance, Pettus took the stage and closed the ceremony by reminding everyone of the 83,000 Service members unaccounted for since the beginning of World War II.

"While we are incredibly thankful for those who have returned home, we must never forget the service members who remain unaccounted for," Pettus said. "It is the POWs, MIAs and their families, who serve constantly and remind this country of what we stand for ... Freedom."