Photo Essays
Pentagon Marks National POW/MIA Day
Marine Gen. James E. Cartwright, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, left, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates, right, and retired Rear Adm. Jeremiah A. Denton Jr. walk to the annual observance of National POW/MIA Recognition Day at the Pentagon, Sept. 18, 2009. Denton, a guest speaker who also served as a U.S. Senator from Alabama, described his own experiences as a prisoner of war for nearly eight years.Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates addresses the audience during the National POW/MIA Recognition Day ceremony at the Pentagon, Sept. 18, 2009.Retired Rear Adm. Jeremiah A. Denton Jr. addresses the audience during the National POW/MIA Recognition Day ceremony at the Pentagon, Sept. 18, 2009. Denton spent seven years and seven months as a prisoner of war when he was shot down and captured by North Vietnamese troops in 1965.Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates shakes hands with retired Rear Adm. Jeremiah A. Denton Jr. as Marine Corps Gen. James E. Cartwright, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, looks on during the National POW/MIA Recognition Day ceremony at the Pentagon, Sept. 18, 2009.Members of a joint honor guard march onto the field during the National POW/MIA Recognition Day ceremony at the Pentagon, Sept. 18, 2009.Members of a joint color guard march onto the field during the National POW/MIA Recognition Day ceremony at the Pentagon, Sept. 18, 2009.Troops from all five military branches stand in formation during the National POW/MIA Recognition Day ceremony at the Pentagon, Sept. 18, 2009.Right to left, Marine Gen. James E. Cartwright, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and retired Rear Adm. Jeremiah A. Denton Jr. render honors during the playing of the national anthem during the National POW/MIA Recognition Day ceremony at the Pentagon, Sept. 18, 2009.A U.S. veteran salutes during the playing of the national anthem at the beginning of the National POW/MIA Recognition Day ceremony at the Pentagon, Sept. 18, 2009.The POW/MIA Flag flies above the Pentagon parade field during military ceremonies to mark National POW/MIA Recognition Day, Sept. 18, 2009.An audience member holds a pamphlet stating, "All gave some, some gave all," during the National POW/MIA Recognition Day ceremony at the Pentagon, Sept. 18, 2009.Marine Gen. James E. Cartwright, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, delivers remarks at the Defense Department's annual observance of National POW/MIA Day at the Pentagon, Sept. 18, 2009.Retired Rear Adm. Jeremiah A. Denton Jr. recalls his almost eight years of captivity in a North Vietnam prison camp during the National POW/MIA Recognition Day at the Pentagon, Sept. 18, 2009.Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and Marine Gen. James E. Cartwright, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, listen to remarks by retired Rear Admiral Jeremiah A. Denton Jr. at the Pentagon's annual observance of National POW/MIA Recognition Day, Sept. 18, 2009. Denton, a naval aviator flying from the carrier USS Independence during the Vietnam War, was shot down on a bombing mission over Thanh Hoa and held captive for nearly eight years. He is famous for his forced appearance in a North Vietnamese television interview when he blinked his eyes in Morse code to signal T-O-R-T-U-R-E back to U.S. intelligence.Rear Adm. Jeremiah A. Denton Jr. addresses the audience during the National POW/MIA Recognition Day ceremony at the Pentagon, Sept. 18, 2009.Audience members listen as retired Rear Admiral Jeremiah A. Denton, Jr., addresses the audience during the National POW/MIA Recognition Day Ceremony at the Pentagon, Sept. 18, 2009. Denton spent 7 years and 7 months as a prisoner of war when he was shot down and captured by North Vietnamese troops in 1965.Department of Defense officials and audience members listen as retired Rear Admiral Jeremiah A. Denton, Jr., addresses the audience during the National POW/MIA Recognition Day Ceremony at the Pentagon, Sept. 18, 2009. Denton spent 7 years and 7 months as a prisoner of war when he was shot down and captured by North Vietnamese troops in 1965.An audience member holds a photo of the 91st Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron, which includes his uncle, front right, during the National POW/MIA Recognition Day ceremony at the Pentagon, Sept. 18, 2009. The entire squadron was shot down during the Korean War in 1952.Left to right, Retired Rear Adm. Jeremiah A. Denton Jr., Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and Marine Gen. James E. Cartwright, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, attend the National POW/MIA Recognition Day ceremony at the Pentagon, Sept. 18, 2009.Right to left; Marine Gen. James E. Cartwright, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and retired Rear Adm. Jeremiah A. Denton Jr., render honors during troop march-in-review as part of the National POW/MIA Recognition Day ceremony at the Pentagon, Sept. 18, 2009.Defense Department officials watch a troop march-in-review as part of the National POW/MIA Recognition Day ceremony at the Pentagon, Sept. 18, 2009.Left to right, Marine Gen. James E. Cartwright, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and retired Rear Adm. Jeremiah A. Denton Jr. render honors during troop march-in-review as part of the National POW/MIA Recognition Day ceremony at the Pentagon, Sept. 18, 2009.Left to right, Marine Gen. James E. Cartwright, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and retired Rear Adm. Jeremiah A. Denton Jr., render honors during troop march-in-review as part of the National POW/MIA Recognition Day ceremony at the Pentagon, Sept. 18, 2009.U.S. Air Force airmen conduct a march-in-review during the National POW/MIA Recognition Day ceremony at the Pentagon, Sept. 18, 2009.Flag bearers carry flags from all 50 states during the National POW/MIA Recognition Day ceremony at the Pentagon, Sept. 18, 2009.The Marine Corps band plays during the National POW/MIA Recognition Day ceremony at the Pentagon, Sept. 18, 2009.The Marine Corps band plays as Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates, left, and retired Rear Adm. Jeremiah A. Denton Jr. watch a helicopter flyover during the National POW/MIA Recognition Day ceremony at the Pentagon, Sept. 18, 2009.Left to right, Marine Gen. James E. Cartwright, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and retired Rear Adm. Jeremiah A. Denton Jr. watch a helicopter flyover during the National POW/MIA Recognition Day ceremony at the Pentagon, Sept. 18, 2009.An audience member hugs retired Rear Adm. Jeremiah A. Denton Jr. during the National POW/MIA Recognition Day ceremony at the Pentagon, Sept. 18, 2009. Denton spent seven years and seven months as a prisoner of war when he was shot down and captured by North Vietnamese troops in 1965.
Marine Gen. James E. Cartwright, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, left, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates, right, and retired Rear Adm. Jeremiah A. Denton Jr. walk to the annual observance of National POW/MIA Recognition Day at the Pentagon, Sept. 18, 2009. Denton, a guest speaker who also served as a U.S. Senator from Alabama, described his own experiences as a prisoner of war for nearly eight years.
DoD photo by Robert D. Ward