The U.S. National POW/MIA Recognition Day, to remember prisoners of war and those who are missing in action, as well as their families, is designated the third Friday in September.
A local group of veterans who call themselves Loyal to the Cause will hold a 24-hour vigil from midnight Sept. 20 to midnight Sept. 21 at the veterans memorial in Niles Circle Park, located at the corner of Vienna and Robbins avenues.
''We are not a motorcycle club,'' said Bill Murphy, one of the volunteers and veterans who will spend 24 hours at the park to remember POW and MIA service people and their families.
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A group of concerned veterans, who call themselves Loyal to the Cause, will hold a 24-hour vigil from midnight Sept. 20 to midnight Sept. 21 at Circle Park at the corners of state Route 46 and Robbins Avenue. The vigil will include a mock prisoner-of-war cell. Pictured, from left, are Justin ‘‘DJ Murph’’ Murphy, Bill ‘‘Donut’’ Murphy, Thomas L. ‘‘Demon’’ Tedesco, Carl ‘‘Freezer’’ Strawn, Bill ‘‘Crash’’ Weiser, Don ‘‘Troll’’ Isenberg and Bob Cover.
''We're just a group of guys who believe in what we do,'' Murphy said.
Anyone who would like to take part in the vigil is welcome to join up, he said.
Included in the vigil will be a mock prisoner of war cell where volunteers will spend time during the 24-hour period.
According to statistics from the Department of Defense, there are 1,741 American personnel listed by the Defense Department's POW/MIA Office as missing from the Vietnam War as of April 2009.
The veterans will answer questions and the public is invited to stop by to show support.
The group held a vigil at the same location in 2011. This year will mark the 17th year of observance for Loyal to the Cause volunteers.