Prisoners of War/Missing in Action Advocates Club, sponsored by special education teacher Bob Smith, has big plans for the school year.
The club is the first POW/MIA chapter in any high school across the nation.
“In all the years since wars such as the Vietnam War have been over, we haven’t had the opportunity to find all the bodies,” Smith said. “Lately, [other countries] are allowing more teams to go in, but the amount of people lobbying Congress to keep the funding going is diminishing. Eventually, we would like POW/MIA to be in high schools across the country so that generations coming up will be committed to it throughout their entire life.”
Smith believes that returning bodies to their rightful place brings solace to their loved ones.
“It brings peace of mind to the families,” Smith said. “I was at a convention and I met a 94 year old woman whose son’s body had just been recovered and was being sent back over for burial. She was just elated, and you could see the joy in her eyes as she said ‘I got my son back after all these years.’”
The cause is also personal to him as a result of his military background.
Smith was a sergeant in the United States Army and he served in Vietnam for 19 months. He lost two friends in the war whose names are now on the Vietnam Veteran’s Memorial.
“One guy who I played cards with in high school was shot in the leg and they were going to ship him back home,” Smith said. “He had his immediate surgery in Vietnam, but while he was there another guy came in and started cleaning his weapon. It had a round in it that discharged and killed my friend. Despite my best efforts, it took nine days for the body to get to his family and he had to have a glass covering on the casket.”
In honor of soldiers, club members presented a proposal to the Fairfax County School Board last year.
“We went to the school board and asked that the POW/MIA flag rise with the American flag at least seven days a week, once a year, in every Fairfax County Public School,” POW/MIA club president Manaal Siddiqui said. “This is important because these people deserve recognition. They fight for our country, so we have a responsibility to fight for and remember them “
The issue has not been resolved yet, but Smith expects a decision to be announced soon. While they were waiting last year, club members engaged in many other activities.
Club officers spoke before a crown on Veterans Day about their feelings regarding POW/MIA at the Falls Church Veterans Day Memorial.
Siddiqui and club founder alum Chris Sheppard also attended the annual banquet for POW/MIA families. They received an award of appreciation from the families.
Additionally, representatives from the club spoke before veterans’ organizations about getting financial support from them and received a $500 donation from the Falls Church Veterans Council.
The group hopes to build on the momentum they gained in the past. Its next step is sponsoring its first annual Remembrance Banquet Nov. 9 from 6-8 p.m. in the Lecture Hall.
Staff from the National League of POW/MIA Families and representatives from the Department of Defense will give a presentation. Families are also invited to share their stories.
“It’s time to serve those that serve for us,” Siddiqui said.