-
Diego Lopez-CC The Ladies and Junior Auxiliary of the American Legion Post 80 teamed up to make a POW-MIA wreath in honor of those unreturned veterans. This was the first time the auxiliaries have made a wreath in honor of POW-MIA recognition day which was Sept. 18, held on the third Friday of every September.
GRANTS, N.M. – September 18 was Prisoner of War and Missing in Action Recognition Day, while maintaining social distancing and wearing mask coverings, the American Legion Post 80 Ladies and Junior Auxiliaries teamed up to honor the POW and MIA soldiers.
Holding their event on Sept. 17 because of current statewide health order restrictions, the auxiliaries placed a wreath in honor of the soldiers on the POW-MIA memorial at Veteran’s Park in Grants, New Mexico.
The wreath was delicately designed by the two auxiliaries, with a primarily white background, black and white ribbons adorned the wreath with black flowers on the two sides and one on top. A POW-MIA insignia fits neatly in the center of the wreath with a red flower on a bed of green leaves underneath the insignia.
Tina Ford, member of the lady’s auxiliary explained that the design came from the POW-MIA flag. The white and black of the wreath match the colors of the flag, which feature the POW-MIA insignia in the center with an unreturned veteran behind a barbed wire fence with a watchtower in the background.
“Our veterans!” The auxiliaries shouted when asked what their inspiration for the wreath was. “Everything we do is for our veterans,” Ford said.
She explained that the auxiliaries put up wreaths for every holiday celebrating veterans, saying that this was the first year that the auxiliary created a wreath for the unreturned veterans.
Legion Post 80 Master Aaron Dean said that the ladies auxiliary is made up of wives, daughters and other female family members of veterans – who are not veterans themselves – and recognize the sacrifice of America’s veterans and want to honor their spirit and memory.
The ladies auxiliary is always open to new membership, anyone looking to join the organization can contact the auxiliary on their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/alpost80