THE WALL OF FACES

The Department of Defense conducted ceremonies at the Pentagon and at Hickam AFB on Friday, 18 September 2020 in commemoration of POW/MIA Recognition Day. Deputy Defense Secretary David L. Nordquist remembered the 1,586 MIAs from the Vietnam War as well as all those still unaccounted for from WWII, the Korean War, the Cold War and other conflicts. Director (Maj. Gen, USAFR, ret) Kelly McKeague of the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) also recorded a separate video message to Gold Star MIA families. Additionally, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund (VVMF) produced a “virtual” event on 18 Sep. Since the 2019 Ceremony, DPAA has positively identified 1 Vietnam War MIA. Captain Edmund Battelle Taylor Jr., USNA Class of 1953, is one of those 1,586 MIAs unaccounted for in Southeast Asia from the Vietnam War. He is one of 3 graduates from his U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis class who is still MIA. The other 2 USNA Class of 1953 MIAs are LCDR Peter Krusi & Col. George Tyler, USAF. As of the date of this ceremony, there are 55 USNA graduates still MIA in Southeast Asia (SEA) from the Vietnam War. They account for 32% of the 169 men from Annapolis who made the ultimate sacrifice in SEA during the Vietnam War.

This is the link to the DoD/DVIDS video for the Pentagon ceremony:
https://www.dvidshub.net/video/766486/defense-officials-recognize-prisoners-war-missing-service-members-ceremony

This is the link to the DoD/DVIDS video for the Hickam AFB ceremony:
https://www.dvidshub.net/video/766491/admiral-commemorates-prisoners-war-and-missing-service-members-ceremony

This is the link to DPAA Director McKeague’s video statement:
https://vimeo.com/454474340

This is the link to the VVMF virtual remembrance: https://www.vvmf.org/POWMIA-2020/

On the remembrance of your birthday, your sacrifice is not forgotten.

Non sibi sed patriae.

They called man overboard and we manned the rails but we did not see Commander Leaver or Captain Taylor.

The blades of the helicopter hit the outside of the ship as it went into the water. Chief's quarters were below the fantail and our chief came to our work spaces in his underwear thinking the ship had been hit by enemy artillery fire. The next night we mined Haiphong Harbor.

I came across one of Mr. Taylor's dog tags. Please let me know if someone would like to have it and I will send it to you.

Your loss hit our family so hard cousin. I am glad I got to know your children, especially Steve and Teddy and beautiful Joan.