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SJ community pauses to remember POW/MIAs

By Tech. Sgt. Tammie Moore , 4th Fighter Wing Public Affairs / Published September 21, 2010

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SEYMOUR JOHNSON AIR FORCE BASE, N.C. -- The 4th Fighter Wing honored the sacrifices of former prisoners of war, those missing in action and their families during a POW/MIA Recognition Day ceremony here Sept. 17.

Retired Col. Jack Van Loan, who spent six years as a POW during the Vietnam War, served as the event's guest speaker. He spoke to members of the Seymour Johnson community, former POWs and their family members from the Goldsboro area.
The ceremony, opened by Master Sgt. Jamee Clark, paid tribute to those who captured as POW and listed as MIA. These veterans put their lives in danger because of their dedication to and love of their country.

"We honor those whose story has not ended," said Sergeant Clark, 335th Fighter Squadron NCO in charge of squadron aviation resource management. "We will continue to tell the stories of those missing in action and POW who scarified years of their lives serving in captivity. To this date, there are still 64 POW or members MIA from North Carolina, seven of whom were residents of Goldsboro."

Despite the physical and emotional suffering that Colonel Van Loan endured during his imprisonment, he never gave up hope. He retained his trust in his god and in the United States.

"It never occurred to me that I wasn't going home. I knew the American people were never going to forget me," he said. "I never thought for a second I was going to be forgotten. They were not going to leave me out there."
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