UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Monday, September 19, 1994
5A
Brian Vandervliet / KANSAN
Carl Flyer, a World War II prisoner of war, spoke to a crowd of about 60 people at POW/MIA Recognition Day on Friday afternoon. After the ceremony, a bouquet of black balloons was released at the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 852 in Lawrence in honor of POW's and MIA's from Kansas.
Memorial calls for action
Veterans demand MIA information
By David Wilson Kansan staff writer
Asomber group of military veterans gathered with their families and friends around a flagpole on Friday afternoon outside the entrance to Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 852 in Lawrence to remember prisoners of war and soldiers who are missing in action.
But the gathering was more than a memorial, speakers said. They urged the group to keep pressure on the U.S. and Vietnamese governments for more information about missing soldiers.
"We are here to rededicate ourselves," said Ray Calore, chairman of the Kansas POW/MIA committee. "There are ways of getting information out, and it's like pulling teeth."
About 60 people gathered at the post, at 138 Alabama St., to observe
POW/MIA Recognition Day.
Calore said both living and dead solders were still in Vietnam.
"For those of you who doubt, I'm sure there are a lot of folks in this audience you can get information from," he said.
Before two VFW post members released a bouquet of black balloons, Bob Kuhmeier, a Green Beret and Vietnam veteran, called out the name, rank, branch of service and hometown of the more than 30 Kansas soldiers still unaccounted for from the Vietnam War.
After each name, two uniformed veterans standing toward the back of the gathering alternately responded with the number of years, months and days that the soldier had been missing.
"William D. McGonicle, U. S. Marines, Wichita," Kuhlmeier called out.
"Missing in action, sir. Twenty-six years, four months, seven days," was the response.
People at the ceremony remained silent during the reading of the
names, except for one acknowledgment of a loved one.
"The candle still burns," choked one woman through her tears as one name was read.
One speaker, Carl Flyer, a World War II prisoner of war, said that he was lucky to be alive and back in the United States.
"I spent two cold winters on the Black Sea," he said. "But I got my chance to come home."
Flyer said the missing Kansas soldiers from the Vietnam War suffered indigences even before they were declared missing.
"Jane Fonda didn't help one bit," he said, referring to the actress' controversial trip to Hanoi in North Vietnam during the war. People nodded vigorously in response.
Mike Miller, co-chairman of the post's POW/MIA committee, told the people gathered not to forget the soldiers.
"This is a sad day," he said. "There's a lot of people over there still missing. Don't ever forget these people."