By Thomas Cooke
Chairman of The Board
United Spinal Association

With over 100,000 American troops fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq many of us rarely have these wars far from our minds. We must always be mindful of the terrible real-life experiences our fighting men and women are enduring in these conflicts.

While we work to ensure the specific services and assistance they’ll need as a result of their service we must also never forget the tremendous burdens borne by those who have served our country in the past. This past week, we had an opportunity to honor those outstanding men and women.

Friday, September 19 was National POW/MIA Recognition Day. Established in April of 2001, POW/MIA Recognition Day is a time where we can sit down and remember the bravery and suffering of POWs tormented at the hands of their captors, and the horrifying uncertainty of the families whose servicemen remain Missing in Action.

As this special day grows in recognition I’m pleased to see municipalities taking the time and effort to treat it with the respect it deserves. I was grateful to be invited to the commemoration put on by the Bergen County government in New Jersey this past Friday.

When I arrive at an event of special significance to our veterans I’m immediately struck by the gentlemen in the special World War II-style VFW hats. The Veterans of Foreign Wars make sure their brothers and sisters in arms are never forgotten and their presence — so recognizable by their cover — adds honor and solemnity to these occasions.

On Friday I was struck by a different hat. In the same style, but bright red, was a cap signifying status as a former POW, worn by Former US Army Air Corps Staff Sgt. Karnig Thomasian. The keynote speaker at the commemoration, Sgt. Thomasian was part of a bomber crew that was brought down over Burma in December of 1944. While in captivity Sgt. Thomasian and his comrades were regularly beaten, housed in tiny quarters, denied medical care, malnourished and generally treated with a disregard for their basic human rights. Sgt. Thomasian was in captivity for 6 months until the Japanese began a withdrawal from Burma.

Under such circumstances it would be understandable if Sgt. Thomasian was a bitter man, but he is quite the opposite. Speaking about personal responsibility, his gratitude at returning home safely and the deep reverence he holds for the men and women who never made that trip home, Sgt. Thomasian considers himself one of the lucky ones and has tried to build a life helping others and worthy of the sacrifices made by his fallen comrades.

For someone of my generation (I’m 38), just meeting Karnig Thomasian is a moving experience. I’ve seen the documentaries, the TV programs, the movies depicting war, captivity, and suffering. But here I was meeting history in-person, in the flesh, in a ceremony commemorating the horrible truths that individuals like Karnig actually experienced. It’s something quite a bit different than a documentary.

I had the pleasure of speaking with Karnig for quite some time after the ceremony. He remains very concerned with the issues that face our country overseas. He follows politics with an open mind and urges others to get involved as well. I was quite taken aback when he complimented me on the productivity I realize in my own life despite my quadriplegia. Here was a genuine hero, a World War II POW, blessing my efforts and encouraging me to continue. I didn’t know what to say.

Faced with his reminders about the young men and women who are no longer with us, I felt my own disability recede in importance. And that is what Karnig and his fellow former POWs remind us — things may get bad, things may get tough, but men and women have endured through trials every bit as difficult as anything we have encountered. We look to them for inspiration and take time to remember them, on at least one day of the year, POW/MIA Recognition Day, to reflect upon their losses with grateful humility.