P.O.W. Network hosts Remembrance Service and USS Pueblo film

On Thursday, November 6, the P.O.W. Network hosted the annual POW/MIA Service of Remembrance, which dedicates a special portion of Branson’s Veterans Homecoming Week to remembering those POW/MIA whose families still await closure. This year’s Service of Remembrance was held in the Royal Oak Forum of the Keeter Center, on the College of the Ozarks campus. 

P.O.W. Network Chairman Mary Schantag welcomed those present, including many veterans and several members of the community and campus community. Area musician Chris Conant provided the National Anthem; and Network volunteer and board member Terri Howard led the Pledge of Allegiance and opening prayer. 

Featured speaker for the service was Bill Lowe, producer of the award-winning film “Pueblo: A Year of Crises in America,” based on the 1968 capture of the ship by North Korean and the 11-month imprisonment of the crew; and special guests at the service included several USS Pueblo crew members. In his remarks, Lowe shared the story of a USAF pilot, Neal Black, whose Husky helicopter was downed during a rescue mission, and Black’s subsequent imprisonment, used by the enemy for propaganda before his eventual release. In spite of significant trauma, even as he finally boarded the plane to come home, Black recovered to serve in intelligence during the Cold War. 

After Lowe’s remarks, commemorative wreaths were placed, with accompaniment by Conant playing Herb Alpert’s “Lonely Bull,” a song with great significance for USS Pueblo survivors. One wreath honored the entire crew; a second wreath was placed in memory of crew member Duane Hodges who was killed by enemy fire during the capture. 

Following the wreath presentations, Mary Schantag reiterated the importance of keeping memories alive for those still unaccounted for, including 2,400-plus Missourians. P.O.W. Network volunteer Jeanne Cooper then tolled the bell in remembrance as attendees stood to speak the names of missing family, friends and comrades-in-arms. 

After Terri Howard led closing prayer, the bell was tolled in remembrance of those still unaccounted for from each U.S. conflict since World War I, as well as non-combat zones. 

On Friday evening, November 7, a showing of “Pueblo” was held, also in the Royal Oak Forum. Chris Conant provided pre-show music; Lt. David “Mac” McAllister, USN (Ret.) served as host and emcee. Describing the film’s significance, producer Lowe stated in the event program that “The January 23, 1968, attack and capture of the USS Pueblo ship and crew by the North Korean Navy began a tumultuous year for the United States,” with the “Pueblo Incident” bringing the world dangerously close to a third World War and the crew enduring months of torture, only to face questions and possible charges by their own government upon their return. At the same time, the assassinations of Robert F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King, along with other unrest in the U.S., added to a cultural climate of questioning and change. Anchored by the crew’s stories of their experience, Lowe’s film does a masterful job of capturing that climate. 

The evening included opportunities for Q & A with Lowe and the crew members. The combined emphases of the film showing and the Remembrance Service provide an important reminder that as citizens, we must be ever vigilant of our freedom and never forget what our soldiers have gone through, nor forget the memories of those whose families still await closure about their loved one.