CWU Air Force ROTC cadets to host annual POW/MIA 24-hour senior vigil

This year will mark the 27th consecutive Veterans Day that the Central Washington University Air Force ROTC (Reserve Officer Training Corps) senior class will honor the country’s prisoners of war (POW) and others missing in action (MIA.

The 24-hour vigil, which commemorates those who are ‘Gone, but not Forgotten,’ begins Thursday, November 10, at midnight and continues through midnight on Veterans Day. During the vigil, cadets will live in meager conditions in a tent near McConnell Hall.

“The annual vigil is a time for cadets to show their support for not only POWs and MIAs but for all veterans,” said Maj. Michael Phipps, CWU Air Force ROTC director of operations. “The POW/MIA flag states ‘you are not forgotten’ and this vigil stands as a reminder for everyone to take a minute to think about those who have served or are still serving in the armed forces.”

This year’s vigil will conclude with a candlelight ceremony Friday at 11:45 p.m., which will feature members of the CWU music department performing Taps. CWU and all Kittitas County community members are encouraged to view the POW/MIA displays throughout the vigil and visit with participating cadets.

Phipps noted that both CWU’s Air Force and Army ROTC cadre members will be represented and participate in the Ellensburg Veterans Day Parade.

Media contact: Robert Lowery, director of Radio Services and Integrated Communications, 509-963-1487, Robert.Lowery@cwu.edu