Remembering POWs and MIAs

By Jack L. Werner, Ph.D. A to Z Inspections (for The City Sentinel)

In 1979, after 2,500 Vietnam-era families petitioned Congress for a day of remembrance for prisoners of war and those missing in action, Congress designated the third Friday of September as the National POW/MIA Recognition Day.

Four-tenths of one percent (0.4 of 1%) of American adults join America’s military. Let us remember those who served and especially those who were lost.

Would you mark the third Friday in September of next year and years following on your calendar to remember and honor America’s POWs and MIAs? Every cemetery in Oklahoma City has a veteran’s grave that is neglected. Might you consider adopting one?

I wish to thank my three sons – Chad, Cord, and Cole Werner – and my nephew Jason Blevins for their military service.  Many feel that their children are too good for military service. I hope Werners will always raise their hands and say, “I’ll go.  Send me.”

Note: Jack L. Werner owns A to Z Inspections, a commercial and residential inspection company serving the southwest. He teaches home inspections for Francis Tuttle Career Tech and Certified Aging in Place (CAPS) and Universal Design courses for the Oklahoma Home Builders Association, honored by the National Association of Home Builders Association as the 2019 CAPS Instructor of the Year. An ICC-certified Accessibility Plans/Examiner, providing ADA compliance inspections, Jack received the Mayor’s Committee on Disability Concerns “Clearing the Path” award Jack serves on the board of the Daily Living Centers, a nonprofit providing adult day care. Jack served with the United States Army, December 1, 1966 – December 1, 1970; Russian linguist, 4th Infantry Division, K Co., 75th Airborne Rangers, two tours in Vietnam. Jack’s three sons served in the military. His son Cole is in the Army Reserves. Jack’s son Cord Werner, also an A to Z inspector, served two tours in Iraq.