U.S. Navy Cmdr. (retired) Rick Buell, middle, his wife Kim Buell, left, and Keith Maupin, Yellow Ribbon Support Center/ POW Father, left, place the POW/MIA wreath on the The Purple Heart and POW/MIA Memorial Monument during a reveal event Friday. (Photo by Douglass Huxley)

MARIETTA — The city of Marietta held a solemn dedication ceremony Friday for its new Purple Heart and POW/MIA Memorial Monument recognizing National POW/MIA Recognition Day.

For one speaker, U.S. Navy Cmdr. (retired) Rick Buell, this was his first time attending such a ceremony and expressed the honor of being asked to share remarks.

“This is a wonderful acknowledgement, because not too many folks really know about the MIA stories,” Buell said.

His father, 33-year-old U.S. Navy Lt. Cmdr. Kenneth “Ken” Buell is a Vietnam War MIA (missing in action) whose plane was shot down over North Vietnam in 1972. On September 17, 1972, Lt. Buell and his squadron commander launched a dangerous nighttime bombing mission over North Vietnam. Their plane was hit by anti-aircraft fire, and an explosion was observed, but no trace of the aircraft or crew was ever found.

For years, Buell’s family received little information about his father’s fate. In 1978, the Navy informed them that his father was presumed killed in action. In 1991, remains believed to be those of the squadron commander were recovered, but DNA testing could not confirm if any belonged to Lt. Buell. In recent years, the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) has conducted multiple excavations near the suspected crash site, but no remains or aircraft wreckage have been found.

U.S. Navy Cmdr. (retired) Rick Buell talks to a crowd at Gold Star Park Friday about his father, U.S. Navy Lt. Cmdr. Kenneth Buell, who remains missing in action from the Vietnam War. Buell spoke about his father’s service and legacy during the The Purple Heart and POW/MIA Memorial Monument reveal event during POW/MIA Recognition Day held every year on the last Friday of September. (Photo by Douglass Huxley)

“My dad’s case happens to still be active, which is amazing,” Buell said.

Buell said there are still 81,000 unresolved MIA cases but dedications and ceremonies like this give him hope.

“I’m personally bolstered by the knowledge that we have a nation that spends its energy and resources to never forget them,” Buell said.

Former U.S. Army soldier, and West Virginia native, Jessica Lynch shared the harrowing details of her capture and captivity during the 2003 invasion of Iraq to attendees.

Lynch, who was just 19 years old at the time, said she had initially planned to become a kindergarten teacher before unexpectedly joining the military in 2001 alongside her brother and sister. After basic training, she said she was deployed to Kuwait in February 2003 before crossing into Iraq on March 20th. Tragically, Lynch’s convoy was separated from the main unit on March 23rd, leading to a significant delay. She said the convoy lost radio and GPS capabilities, and eventually mistakenly crossed the Euphrates River Bridge into the hostile city of Nasiriyah, where they were ambushed. Lynch recounted the horrors that followed, including being shot at with an RPG, having her bones broken, and being tortured by her Iraqi captors. She was taken to Saddam Hussein’s palace and a hospital, where she was left alone for days before finally being rescued by U.S. forces on April 1st.

West Virginia native, veteran and former prisoner of war Jessica Lynch speaks to a crowd at Gold Star Park Friday during the The Purple Heart and POW/MIA Memorial Monument reveal event on POW/MIA Recognition Day held every year on the last Friday of September. (Photo by Douglass Huxley)

“They looked at me and they said, ‘We’re Americans, and we’re here to take you home'”, Lynch said.

Buell said these types of memorials are important for raising awareness within the local community about the MIA/POW issue.

“It’s awareness,” Buell said. “If we have Americans out there who are still missing, the public needs to know.”

People line up to get a glimpse of The Purple Heart and POW/MIA Memorial Monument after its unveiling Friday at Gold Star Park in Marietta. (Photo by Douglass Huxley)