For 18 hours on Sept. 18 students, staff and community members from the Hillsboro R-3 School District made sure to never forget military service members who were prisoners of war or those missing in action.
Patrick Quinn, district spokesperson, said the community observed National POW/MIA Recognition Day with an annual vigil from 6 a.m. to midnight at Hillsboro Intermediate School, 10478 Business 21.
“We had dozens of people show up throughout the day. City Hall was closed for 45 minutes so all city workers could pay respect and stand at the vigil. We had just about every student at the Intermediate School come out throughout the day and stand vigil outside of the school,” he said on Monday.
Leslie Marchetti, Hillsboro Intermediate School principal, said the community takes a lot of pride in the vigil each year.
“It’s always very inspiring. I’ll be here at six in the morning; we’ll be setting everything up and when people are making their commute in, and they’ll be honking their horns and just showing respect,” she said.
Hillsboro R-3 was the first POW/MIA designated district in the country, Marchetti said.
“We make it our mission to raise awareness to people in our community and a wider region just to know the importance of that,” she said. “We think it’s important for our students to understand what families go through when they have someone missing in action or (are) prisoners of war.”
The city of Hillsboro is also an official POW/MIA city.
Marchetti said members of the public can stop by the permanent memorial in front of the Intermediate School year-round.
“We encourage people just to stop by even if it’s for a few minutes with their family and take that minute to hold the flag up, hold the sign up just to show your support,” she said.
The school district also recognized POWs and missing service members on Sept. 11 with a remembrance ceremony and football game.
During the ceremony and game, the school district honored St. Louis University High School graduate Air Force 1st Lt. Michael Blassie. His call sign, “Hawk Zero Two,” was displayed on Hillsboro Hawks uniforms and helmets, Quinn said.
Blassie was listed as missing in action after his aircraft was shot down during the Vietnam War in May 1972.
His remains were later interred at the Tomb of the Unknowns as the Vietnam Unknown at Arlington National Cemetery in 1984. DNA testing later confirmed his identity in 1998.
Blassie was ultimately returned to his family in St. Louis and is buried at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery.