Missing Man & Flag Ceremonies

Patriotic Ceremony / Missing Man Ceremony

  • Presented by Rolling Thunder of Wisconsin - Chapter Number 3
  • Saturday, July 14 at 4 p.m.
  • Stephenson Island, Marinette, Wisconsin (Pavilion)

This ceremony is a strong reminder to all who witness it that we will never forget the soldiers left behind on the battle fields in foreign lands. We will always honor their service, their sacrifice for our freedom, and that we will always strive to bring them home. The Missing Man Table set up includes a small, round bistro table a white tablecloth, a single place setting, an inverted wine glass, a salt shaker, a slice of lemon on a bread plate with a pile of spilled salt, a small bud vase with a RED ribbon ties around it containing a single long stem rose, a lit candle and an empty chair.

Flags

The table is round to show our everlasting concern for our missing men and women, the tablecloth is white symbolizing the purity of their motives when answering the call to duty. The single red rose, displayed in a case, reminds us of the life of each of the missing, and their loved ones and friends who keep the faith, awaiting answers. The vase is tied with red ribbon, a symbol of our continued determination to account for our missing. A slice of lemon on the bread plate is to remind us to the bitter fate of those captured or missing in a foreign land. The spilled salt symbolizes the tears endured by those missing and their families who seek answers. The Bible represents the strength gained through faith to sustain those lost from our country, founded as one nation, under God. The glass inverted to symbolize their inability to share this day’s toast. The chair is empty because they are missing.