THOSE​ ​WHO​ ​HAVE​ ​SERVED​ ​AND​ ​THOSE​ ​CURRENTLY​ ​SERVING​ ​THE​ UNITED STATES ARMED FORCES​ ​ARE​ ​EVER​ ​MINDFUL​ ​THAT​ ​THE​ ​SWEETNESS​ ​OF​ ​ENDURING​ ​PEACE​ ​HAS ALWAYS​ ​BEEN​ ​TAINTED​ ​BY​ ​THE​ ​BITTERNESS​ ​OF​ ​PERSONAL​ ​SACRIFICE.​

​​​WE​ ​ARE COMPELLED​ ​TO​ ​NEVER​ ​FORGET​ ​THAT​ ​WHILE​ ​WE​ ​ENJOY​ ​OUR​ ​DAILY​ ​PLEASURES, THERE​ ​ARE​ ​OTHERS​ ​WHO​ ​HAVE​ ​ENDURED​ ​AND​ ​MAY​ ​STILL​ ​BE​ ​ENDURING AGONIES​ ​OF​ ​PAIN,​ ​DEPRIVATION​ ​AND​ ​INTERNMENT.  

THIS EVENING, WE​ ​CALL​ ​YOUR​ ​ATTENTION​ ​TO​ ​THIS​ ​SMALL​ ​TABLE,​ ​WHICH​ ​OCCUPIES​ ​A​ ​PLACE OF​ ​DIGNITY​ ​AND​ ​HONOR​ ​NEAR​ ​THE​ ​HEAD​ ​TABLE.​ 

IT​ ​IS​ ​SET​ ​FOR​ ​ONE, SYMBOLIZING​ ​THE​ ​FACT​ ​THAT​ ​MEMBERS​ ​OF​ ​OUR​ ​CORPS​ ​ARE​ ​MISSING​ ​FROM OUR​ ​RANKS.​ ​​​THEY​ ​ARE​ ​REFERRED​ ​TO​ ​AS​ ​PRISONERS​ ​OF​ ​WAR​ ​AND​ ​MISSING​ ​IN ACTION.​ ​​​WE​ ​CALL​ ​THEM​ ​COMRADES.

THEY​ ​ARE​ ​UNABLE​ ​TO​ ​BE​ ​WITH​ ​THEIR​ ​LOVED​ ​ONES​ ​AND​ ​FAMILIES​ ​TONIGHT,​ ​SO I ASK - THAT WE​ ​JOIN​ ​TOGETHER​ ​- TO​ ​PAY​ ​OUR​ ​HUMBLE​ ​TRIBUTE​ ​TO​ ​THEM,​ ​AND​ ​BEAR WITNESS​ ​TO​ ​THEIR​ ​CONTINUED​ ​ABSENCE.  

THIS​ ​TABLE, ​SET​ ​FOR​ ​ONE,​ ​IS​ ​SMALL,​ ​SYMBOLIZING​ ​THE​ ​FRAILTY​ ​OF​ ​ONE PRISONER,​ ​ALONE​ ​AGAINST​ ​HIS​ ​OR​ ​HER​ ​SUPPRESSORS.  

THE​ ​TABLECLOTH​ ​IS​ ​WHITE,​ ​SYMBOLIC​ ​OF​ ​THE​ ​PURITY​ ​OF​ ​THEIR​ ​INTENTIONS TO​ DEFEND THIS COUNTRY AND OUR WAY OF LIFE.

THE​ ​SINGLE​ ​ROSE​ ​IN​ ​THE​ ​VASE,​ ​SIGNIFIES​ ​THE​ ​BLOOD​ ​THAT​ ​MANY​ ​HAVE​ ​SHED IN​ ​SACRIFICE​ ​TO​ ​ENSURE​ ​THE​ ​FREEDOM​ ​OF​ ​OUR​ ​BELOVED​ ​UNITED​ ​STATES​ ​OF AMERICA.​ ​​​

THE​ ​ROSE​ ​ALSO​ ​REMINDS​ ​US​ ​OF​ ​THE​ ​FAMILY​ ​AND​ ​FRIENDS​ ​OF​ ​OUR MISSING​ ​COMRADES​ ​WHO​ ​KEEP​ ​THE​ ​FAITH,​ ​WHILE​ ​AWAITING​ ​THEIR​ ​RETURN. 

THE​ ​YELLOW​ ​RIBBON​ ​ON​ ​THE​ ​VASE​ ​REPRESENTS​ ​THE​ ​YELLOW​ ​RIBBONS​ ​WORN ON​ ​THE​ ​LAPELS​ ​OF​ ​THE​ ​THOUSANDS​ ​WHO​ ​DEMAND​ ​WITH​ ​UNYIELDING DETERMINATION​, A​ ​PROPER​ ​ACCOUNTING​ ​OF​ ​OUR​ ​COMRADES​ ​WHO​ ​ARE​ ​NOT AMONG​ ​US​ ​TONIGHT. 

A​ ​SLICE​ ​OF​ ​LEMON​ ​ON​ ​THE​ ​PLATE​ ​REMINDS​ ​US​ ​OF​ ​THEIR​ ​BITTER​ ​FATE.​ ​​​THE SALT​ ​SPRINKLED​ ​ON​ ​THE​ ​PLATE​ ​REMINDS​ ​US​ ​OF​ ​THE​ ​COUNTLESS​ ​FALLEN TEARS​ ​OF​ ​FAMILIES​ ​AS​ ​THEY​ ​WAIT.​ ​​​

THE​ ​GLASS​ ​INVERTED​ ​–​ ​THEY​ ​CANNOT TOAST​ ​WITH​ ​US​ ​THIS​ ​NIGHT.​ ​​​THE​ ​CHAIR​ ​IS​ ​EMPTY​ ​–​ ​THEY​ ​ARE​ ​NOT​ ​HERE.

THE​ ​CANDLE​ ​IS​ ​REMINISCENT​ ​OF​ ​THE​ ​LIGHT​ ​OF​ ​HOPE​ ​WHICH​ ​LIVES​ ​IN​ ​OUR HEARTS​ ​TO​ ​ILLUMINATE​ ​THEIR​ ​WAY​ ​HOME,​ ​AWAY​ ​FROM​ ​THEIR​ ​CAPTORS,​ ​TO THE​ ​OPEN​ ​ARMS​ ​OF​ ​A​ ​GRATEFUL​ ​NATION. 

LET​ ​US​ ​PRAY​ ​TO​ ​THE​ ​SUPREME​ ​COMMANDER​ ​THAT​ ​ALL​ ​OF​ ​OUR​ ​COMRADES WILL​ ​SOON​ ​BE​ ​BACK​ ​WITHIN​ ​OUR​ ​RANKS.  LET US REMEMBER THEIR SACRIFICES.  MAY GOD FOREVER WATCH OVER THEM AND THEIR FAMILIES.

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, PLEASE RISE AND PLACE YOUR HAND OVER YOUR HEART AS TAPS IS PLAYED IN REMEMBRANCE OF OUR PRISONERS OF WAR AND MISSING IN ACTION.

TAPS