Campus Life

POW/MIA vigil, 21-gun salute scheduled for Sept. 15 on Old Main lawn

A 24-hour vigil honoring all fallen soldiers, prisoners of war, and members of the United States military who are missing in action will begin at 4 p.m. Sept. 15 on Old Main lawn at University Park. Credit: Patrick Mansell / Penn StateCreative Commons

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The Penn State Air Force, Army, Navy and Marine ROTC cadets and midshipmen will hold a joint POW/MIA vigil starting at 4 p.m. Friday, Sept. 15, with a ceremony on Old Main lawn.

On Friday, the event will begin with a 45-minute ceremony featuring a 21-gun salute, a joint color guard raising the U.S. flag and the POW/MIA flag, and a joint presentation of the missing man table ceremony. The Wild Blue Yonders, an Air Force ROTC a cappella group, will perform the national anthem and “Amazing Grace.” There will be a reading of the Presidential Proclamation and a brief story from each service about either a Prisoner of War or service member missing in action from those services.

Following the ceremony, a vigil will last 24 hours with a guard posted every hour. The event will end with a formal joint flag retreat at 4 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 16.

The event is free and open to the public. In particular, military veterans and those with family members serving in the U.S. military are invited to attend.

POW/MIA stands for Prisoners of War/Missing in Action. Penn State’s vigil is aligned with National POW/MIA Recognition Day, which falls on the third Friday of September each year. Several distinguished visitors from the University and the community will be in attendance. 

Penn State's ROTC is part of Penn State Undergraduate Education, the academic administrative unit that provides leadership and coordination for University-wide programs and initiatives in support of undergraduate teaching and learning at Penn State. Learn more about Undergraduate Education at undergrad.psu.edu.

Last Updated October 17, 2017