A ceremony to commemorate National POW/MIA Recognition Day will be held on the South Lawn of the Alabama State Capitol at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 20.

The ceremony will honor and remember the brave men and women who endured the hardships as Prisoners of War, the Missing in Action who are still unaccounted for, and pay special recognition to their families who bore the cost of war.

1st Sgt. Kenneth Paschal, U.S. Army (Ret.), who has served in the Alabama House of Representatives since 2021, will give the keynote address. Born in Tuskegee and raised in the small town of Eclectic, Rep. Paschal served 21 years in the United States Army and earned 11 awards, including the Meritorious Service Medal and the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal. He retired from the Army in 2006 to Shelby County, where he represents House District 73.

The ceremony will include the raising of the POW/MIA Flag, feature patriotic music, a wreath laying ceremony, and the playing of Taps. Traditionally held on the third Friday in September, the ceremony was moved to Saturday to accommodate and encourage public attendance.

The observance is one of six days of the year that Congress has mandated flying of the POW/MIA flag at federal buildings. The Alabama Legislature passed legislation in 2008 that allows for the POW/MIA flag to be flown at state buildings as well.

WHAT: State of Alabama POW/MIA Recognition Day Ceremony

WHEN: Saturday, September 20, 2024, 10:30 a.m.

WHERE: Alabama State Capitol South Lawn, 600 Dexter Avenue, Montgomery, AL 36130