Veterans draw attention to POWs, MIAs at vigil in downtown Texarkana | Also rebuke administration on handling of Afghanistan withdrawal

About 50 local veterans attended the city's 33rd annual POW-MIA Vigil. The two- day event is an effort to honor and remember those U.S. military service men and women who were, and still are, classified as either Prisoners of War or Missing in Action.
About 50 local veterans attended the city's 33rd annual POW-MIA Vigil. The two- day event is an effort to honor and remember those U.S. military service men and women who were, and still are, classified as either Prisoners of War or Missing in Action.

TEXARKANA, Texas - Since its 1988 inception, the Annual POW-MIA Vigil has drawn at least 50 local veterans to its downtown Korea-Vietnam Memorial site, but this year the event offered an extra layer of meaning.

Greg Beck, president of the Texarkana Chapter 278 Vietnam Veterans of America said government efforts to find and recover U.S. military service men and women who were, and still are, classified as either prisoners of war or missing in action, is making progress.

"Back when this vigil first started, there were still 2,555 servicemen and women listed either as POWs or MIAs. Now that number is down to 1,585." he said. "I want to encourage everyone here today to ask the government to increase funding for continuing this effort, rather than decrease funding."

In light of the recent withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan, Beck said that along with efforts to recover POWs and MIAs, attention must now be focused on those servicemen and women whose lives were forsaken by the federal government, "our military people who went to Afghanistan, defended and protected our country for 20 years.

"They fought the terrorists and they did their jobs great, but now, our current government has just decided to take us back to where we were before," he said. "I want to thank all those veterans who served in Afghanistan, as well as everywhere else. I know that our government wanting to lose Afghanistan hurts, because we lost nearly 3,000 people there."

Beck, a Vietnam veteran, said he knows what it's like to be let down by the government.

"After Vietnam, there were no parades for the veterans," he said. "All we had was each other, but things eventually changed."

Besides possibly letting terrorists to reclaim Afghanistan, Beck said some government efforts to aid veterans aren't exactly what they seem.

"There's a plan to raise veterans benefits by 6%," Beck said. "But at the same time, the plan also calls for making that increase taxable income. Each and everyone of us needs stand up and call Washington."

Following his presentation, Beck asked if there were any Afghanistan or Iraqi war veterans in the gathering. Texarkana, Arkansas, resident and U.S. Army Sgt "Cowboy" Sherk came forward. Beck presented him with two ribbons recognizing his service in both Afghanistan and Iraq.

"I was one of those who saw Kabual ( Afghan capital) fall twice,'" Sherk said. "The first time was back in 2001 when we first got there (captured by the U.S.). The second time, I was here, watching it on TV a short time ago."

The vigil ended Saturday evening with a candlelight ceremony at the memorial.

Upcoming Events