Dozens of people gathered at the POW/MIA Memorial for a candlelight vigil by Hingham Harbor.
It was a somber ceremony, with people reflecting six feet apart at the new site of the memorial. They held glow sticks, which illuminated the walkway.
Bob Beal, an Air Force Vietnam veteran, was a driving force behind the memorial’s creation in 1986.
“It’s just so that we can keep alive the memory, the hope and desire, and keep alive in the public that there are people missing. There needs to be full accountability to whatever means necessary,” said Beal. “You leave no one behind, and they are not forgotten. These people are not forgotten, even though they are not with us.
The POW/MIA flag flies 24/7, 365 days of the year until there is full accountability for all those missing.
Benjamin Dulieu, the Chair of the Hingham Veterans Council said 80,000 people are still missing.
“The purpose of this flag is to represent that we will always stand by these families. We’ll always stand by these soldiers, airmen, marines, and sailors,” said Dulieu. “We have full accountability of ourselves as Americans to these people that are serving our nation – that we will do everything we can to bring them home.”
He says these ceremonies are important for veterans from all generations.
“We are still struggling. These highlight those, they bring us out. They bring us all together. You heard me talk about unity, that’s not something I take lightly – that’s the most important thing,” said Dulieu. “No one’s standing here thinking about political tensions or unrest. People here tonight were thinking about the flag, they were just reflecting. How often do we do that anymore? That’s why these events are important.”
