09/18/2026
Look closely at the table set for one.
At many military dinners, there's a small table set for one that no one sits at.
It's the POW/MIA Table, also called the Fallen Comrade Table. Every detail on it means something:
🍽️ Small table: It holds a place of dignity and honor, set for one to symbolize that members are missing from our ranks.
⚪ White tablecloth: The purity of their motives when they answered the call to serve.
🌹 Red rose: A reminder of the lives of the missing, and of the families and friends who keep the faith while they wait for their return.
🪑 Empty chair: They should be here. They aren't.
🎗️ Yellow ribbon: Our promise to keep hoping and to keep working to bring them home.
🍋 Slice of lemon: The bitter fate of those captured or lost.
🧂 Pinch of salt: The tears shed by the families who are still waiting.
🕯️ Lighted candle: A light of hope to guide them home.
🥃 Inverted glass: They can't raise a glass with us tonight.
💨 Our finest cigar, unlit: We will save it until they return to enjoy it with us.
The next time you see this table, take a moment. Someone is missing from our ranks, and someone is still waiting for them.
