Excelsior Springs, Mo. — The Excelsior Springs Fraternal Order of Eagles #3917 held a brief but powerful Memorial Day tribute on Monday, May 27, 2024, at 2:30 p.m. Members gathered around the flagpole as Christy Dimes and Art Winsor presented a wreath honoring the military members as well as POW/MIA service members. The group recited the Pledge of Allegiance and offered a prayer for those who have served or are currently serving in the nation’s military along with their families.
Inside the hall, a table was set for the Missing Man, also known as the Fallen Comrade Table. This solemn table setting and ceremony honors U.S. military service members who are missing, imprisoned, or have fallen. The table is often placed to the side at formal dinners and other events and is performed at official military events throughout the year.
The Missing Man Table typically includes:
- White tablecloth: Symbolizes the service members’ pure intentions when answering the call to duty
- Single candle: Represents hope for the service members’ return, alive or dead
- Inverted glass: Symbolizes the service members’ inability to share a toast
- Empty chair: Symbolizes that the service members are present in spirit
- Single red rose in a vase: Symbolizes the blood that service members have shed in sacrifice for the United States and the life of each fallen comrade
- Red or yellow ribbon: Tied around the vase, the ribbon represents the love of country that inspired the service members to serve
- Plate with lemon and salt: The lemon may represent the bitter fate of those who will never return, and the salt may symbolize the tears of the missing and their families
- Bible: Optional, but represents the strength gained through faith to sustain those lost
After the tribute, club members enjoyed an afternoon of fellowship and a BBQ with their friends and families who had gathered.
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