Congressmen continue to push to turn Jacksonville’s POW/MIA tribute into national memorial

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Rendering of Cecil Field POW/MIA Memorial. Funds are presently being raised to marque Phase 1 a existent nationalist grant to each POW/MIA unit from each authorities successful America.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A measure to found a nationalist captive of warfare and missing successful enactment memorial and depository successful Jacksonville was conscionable reintroduced by U.S. Reps. John Rutherford (R-Jacksonville) and Al Lawson (D-Tallahassee) reintroduced a measure that would designate a POW/MIA memorial and depository astatine Cecil Field to grant each erstwhile prisoners of warfare and those inactive considered missing successful action.

“Every day, I alert the POW/MIA emblem extracurricular of my legislature office,” Rutherford said. “It serves arsenic a reminder of the 82,000 U.S. work members who are erstwhile prisoners of warfare oregon inactive missing successful action. These heroes merit a nationalist memorial designated successful their honor, and this measure establishes that memorial close present successful Northeast Florida. Thank you to my workfellow Rep. Lawson for joining maine successful starring this important effort.”

Back successful 2017, Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry signed a measure that created a imperishable memorial for POW’s and MIA’s astatine Cecil Commerce Center. Two years later, congressmen Rutherford and Lawson archetypal introduced authorities to designate the tract arsenic a nationalist memorial and museum.

According to the Department of Defense, determination are astir 82,000 erstwhile prisoners of warfare and unaccounted for U.S. servicemembers.

“Our work members and veterans person ever been the pridefulness of our nation, and we respect them for their sacrifice and dedication,” Rep. Lawson said. “It is important to grant the brave Americans who person been prisoners of warfare and those who stay missing successful enactment by creating a nationalist depository and memorial successful their tribute. It my privilege to present this authorities with Rep. Rutherford, arsenic we enactment to bring this long-overdue designation to our community.”

The bill that was archetypal introduced by the 2 Florida congressmen would designate the existing POW/MIA Memorial and Museum astatine Cecil Field as a national memorial and museum. It is located connected 26 acres astatine the erstwhile NAS Cecil Field Master Jet Base – present known arsenic Cecil Commerce Center.

Jacksonville’s Mary Hoff, woman of MIA aviator LCDR Michael G. Hoff and an Orange Park autochthonal was a large driving unit down establishing the memorial. She was besides instrumental successful processing the POW/MIA flag, the lone different emblem authorized to alert implicit the White House and connected the aforesaid rod arsenic the American flag.

Friday’s reintroduction of the measure falls connected National POW/MIA Recognition Day which was established successful 1979 done a proclamation signed by President Jimmy Carter.

According to the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, since the archetypal proclamation, each consequent president has issued an yearly proclamation commemorating the 3rd Friday successful September arsenic National POW/MIA Recognition Day.