The University of Wyoming Air Force ROTC Detachment 940 will honor prisoners of war and those missing in action on Nov. 11, Veterans Day.
Starting at 4 a.m. Friday, Nov. 11, Detachment 940, along with the Army ROTC Cowboy Battalion and veterans of the Navy and Marine Corps, will run a POW/MIA flag up the flagpole in Prexy's Pasture. For the next 24 hours, two cadets in 30-minute shifts will march and stand guard by the flag to pay tribute to POW/MIAs.
"We wouldn't be here if it wasn't for them," said Cadet Wing Commander Constantine Bucuvalas of Buffalo Creek, Colo. "It's an easy decision for me to give up some of my time for such a great cause."
The vigil will continue no matter the weather. Two years ago, the cadets continued to march during a blizzard. Some cadets volunteer for more than one shift.
This year, the Detachment is teaming up with the Students Veterans Organization for roll call, when individuals read aloud the names of those killed in action in the ongoing conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. Since World War I, the United States has experienced more than 600,000 killed in action and 200,000 POW/MIAs, according to the U.S. Department of Defense.
