POW/MIA Missing Man Table Ceremony
| Category: | Flag Ceremonies |
|---|---|
| Props: | Small round table set for one |
| Props: | White tablecloth |
| Props: | Single place setting: plate, napkin, silverware |
| Props: | Bread plate with a slice of lemon and a small pile of salt |
| Props: | Inverted wine glass or water glass |
| Props: | Bud vase with a single red rose, tied with a yellow ribbon |
| Props: | Lit candle (battery candle indoors) |
| Props: | Bible or other book of faith (optional - see notes) |
| Props: | Empty chair |
| Props: | POW/MIA flag (optional) |
| Notes: | The Missing Man Table honors service members who are prisoners of war or missing in action. It is traditional at Veterans Day dinners, Memorial Day programs, military balls, and Courts of Honor near a patriotic holiday. Set the table before guests arrive, off to one side where everyone can see it, and leave it in place for the whole event. One reader can carry the whole script, or split it between several Scouts, one element each. Some versions set six places, one per branch; this one uses a single place. If your group is not a faith-based one, leave out the Bible and its line. Pairs with the Veterans Day Ceremony and the Veterans Day minutes. |
Setup
Set the small table where the audience can see it but no one will walk past it. Light the candle just before the ceremony. Lights can be dimmed slightly. The reader stands near the table, not in front of it.
Participants
- Reader - a Scout, Scout leader, or veteran. Several Scouts can share the reading, one element each.
The Ceremony
Reader: 'As you came in tonight, you may have noticed a small table set for one. It is not set for anyone here. It is set for those who cannot be with us - the members of our armed forces who are prisoners of war or missing in action. They are not forgotten, and this table is how we say so.'
Reader: 'The table is small, to show the frailty of one prisoner, alone against those who hold them.'
Reader: 'The tablecloth is white, for the purity of their intentions when they answered their country's call.'
Reader: 'The single red rose reminds us of their families and loved ones, who keep faith while they wait for an answer.'
Reader: 'The yellow ribbon on the vase stands for our resolve to account for every one of them.'
Reader: 'The slice of lemon on the bread plate is for their bitter fate.'
Reader: 'The salt is for the tears of the families who wait.'
Reader: 'The glass is turned upside down. They cannot raise a glass with us tonight.'
Reader: 'The Bible is for the strength found in faith, which has sustained so many who were held far from home.'
Reader: 'The candle is lit for the light of hope - that it might guide them home to us.'
Reader: 'And the chair is empty. They are missing.'
(Pause.)Reader: 'Let us remember them, and their families, in a moment of silence.'
(Moment of silence, about fifteen seconds.)Reader: 'Thank you. The table will remain set through the evening. Please do not move or touch it.'
Tip: If any veterans are present, invite them to stand before the reading begins and thank them by name if you can. Ask ahead of time - some prefer not to be singled out. A former POW or the family of someone missing deserves a private word with your leader beforehand, not a surprise.