The 3:57 by William E. Spear

The Table

A simple table with settings for six awaits its guests. But who are the guests and will they come? Perhaps, more importantly, can they come?

The Table, which is drawn from the Missing Man Table and Honors ceremony, is offered as a monument to reflect upon the men and women who have “served the nation in a special and now unending way.”

Introduction:

Hello and welcome to The 3:57. My name is William Spear.

This episode is THE TABLE. It is adapted from The Missing Man Table Ceremony in honor of National POW/MIA Recognition Day.

The commemoration started with congressional and presidential resolutions in 1979 acknowledging the efforts of families of more than 2,500 POWs and MIAs from the Vietnam War.

Subsequent presidents have continued the honor on the third Friday in September as National POW/MIA Recognition Day. Further, former prisoners of war and those still missing in action from all U. S. conflicts are now recognized. 

The Defense Department continues efforts to account for POWs and MIAs from World War Two, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Cold War, the Gulf Wars, and other recent conflicts. 

They seek to "Provide the fullest possible accounting for our missing personnel to their families and the nation."

And now . . . THE TABLE. 

End of introduction.