POW/MIA Observance and Monument Dedication
The Community Military Appreciation Committee (CMAC), a civic nonprofit organization, will be dedicating the POW/MIA Monument at the Armed Forces Reserve Center (AFRC) at 15005 NE 65th St, Vancouver, WA on Saturday, September 20th at 11 am. The monument will serve as a reminder to visitors that our POW/MIA soldiers “Are Not Forgotten,” and to remind citizens of Vancouver what these soldiers gave up for their country. CMAC will be dedicating the monument to the Armed Forces Reserve Center represented by the 88th Army Reserve Support Command on September 20th, in honor of National POW/MIA Recognition Day in the United States.
Monument construction broke ground in March 2014 and has been completed with the help of:
* Kelly Punteney, POW/MIA monument project manager
* Vancouver Granite Works, Robert Bean
* iQ Credit Union, presiding sponsor for the dedication ceremony
* Cemex, for the donation of materials for the monument
* Brick sales and fundraising led by CMAC, generating $20,000 for the project
The observance and dedication ceremony will feature U.S. Army Col. John F. Sweeney, the commander of the 2nd Brigade 95th Division located at the Armed Forces Reserve Center, as keynote speaker. COL John Sweeney is originally from Queens, New York, graduating with a BA from Don Bosco College. Following assignments in West Germany and New York, he was commissioned through Officer Candidate School in the Military Police (MP) Corps in 1987. His MP experiences included Platoon Leader and Operations Officer 1302nd Port Security and 812th MP Company; Security Officer, 1395th Terminal Transportation; Cdr. 291st Transportation Detachment; Cdr. 380th CONUS Replacement Center (CRC) Battalion (BN); Cdr. 860th CRC Company; and Battalion Cdr. 380th CRC BN. Active duty assignments include Info Operations Officer, G-3 Plans, US Army Pacific, Fort Shafter and Standing Joint Task Force; Secretary to General Staff, 70th Regional Support Command; Deputy Chief of Staff, G1, 3rd and 364th Expeditionary Sustainment Commands in Iraq and Kuwait. His awards include the Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service Medal; Army Commendation Medal; Army Achievement Medal; Joint Meritorious Unit Award; Good Conduct Medal, and multiple Army Reserve service medals.
Other speakers include CMAC co-chair and Vancouver City Councilmember Larry Smith, Mayor Tim Leavitt, 17th District Representatives Paul Harris and Monica Stonier, POW/MIA monument project manager Kelly Punteney and WWII POW (70th Infantry Division) Dale Bowlin. The 204th Army Reserve Band led by Warrant Officer Robert A. Nicholas will provide music as well as Officer Rey Reynolds.
Photo and press release contributed by Fort Vancouver National Trust.
