Missing Man Ceremony

The Missing Man Ceremony was presented July 11th, 2009 in the Rawcliffe Convention Center at the Ocean Dunes Resort Hotel. This is a traditional ceremony to honor our heroes who were lost at war.

The Missing Man Ceremony table Set-up is as follows:

• The table is round - to show our everlasting concern for our men still missing.
• The cloth is white - symbolizing the purity of their motives when answering the call to duty.
• The single red rose, displayed in a vase, reminds us of the life of each of the missing, and their loved ones and friends who keep the faith, awaiting answers.
• The vase is tied with a red ribbon, symbol of our continued determination to account for our missing.
• A slice of lemon on the bread plate is to remind us of the bitter fate of those captured and missing in a foreign land.
• A pinch of salt symbolizes the tears endured by those missing and their families who seek answers.
• The Bible represents the strength gained through faith to sustain those lost from our country, founded as one nation under God.
• The glass is inverted - to symbolize their inability to share this evening's toast.
• The chairs are empty - they are missing.