BRICK – Although not a federal public holiday in the United States, National POW/MIA Recognition Day this year was on September 15.
In honor of those prisoners of war and missing men and women, American Legion Brick Memorial Post 348 member Bruce Blaum and Ocean County Department Executive Committee Ray Miller contacted Brick Chick-fil-A owner Ted Reim to ask if they could set up a special POW/MIA table within its busy restaurant. He happily obliged.
“I’m honored to be part of this and to be able to participate in any way we can,” said Reim.
The Missing Man Table, also known as the Fallen Comrade Table, was placed in a prominent place within the restaurant throughout remembrance weekend – from September 14 to 16.
The table is a place of honor set up in memory of fallen, missing or imprisoned military service members and serves as a focal point of ceremonial remembrance. The tradition began out of growing concern for the amount of POW/MIA soldiers during the Vietnam War.
