A deep respect and commitment to the military was evident at a recent Missing Man

Ceremony at Medical Center of Trinity, which established a permanent memorial in

its lobby to honor service men and women missing in action or prisoners of war.

The Missing Man Memorial follows up a commitment hospital administrators made

last fall to area veterans groups who participated in the hospital’s dedication and

first-ever flag raising at its new location. The hospital was dedicated on Nov. 11, 2011, the same day as Veteran’s Day. “We said then we wanted a permanent place to honor our veterans and it’s with great honor we are doing so today,” said Leigh Massengill, chief executive officer of Medical Center of Trinity. Participating in the Missing Man ceremony were several area veterans groups, including students from the Junior ROTC

program at Mitchell High School, USO Tampa Bay and Rolling Thunder, a group

that brings awareness to POW/MIA issues. The Florida Director of Rolling Thunder,

Jim “Moe” Moyer, led the emotional Missing Man Ceremony. Massengill, who spoke of

the importance the hospital places on veterans and its commitment to their care, introduced Moyer. There are 55,000 veterans living in Pasco County and an estimated 30

percent of Pasco residents have a family connection to the military. Moyer directed six ROTC cadets. Five carried the hat of the branch of the armed services that they represented - Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marines and Navy and a sixth cadet carried a cap representing MIA/POW groups. The cadets solemnly circled a formally set round table with six place settings. As they passed each place setting, they left a hat at each empty seat to honor servicemen and women who never returned from war. The Missing Man table is on permanent display in the lobby at Medical Center of

Trinity and is being overseen by volunteers with USO Tampa Bay, coordinated by chairman Walter Lamerton, who also is a Trinity resident. The Missing Man table is set to be a symbolic reminder for military personnel who never return home:

- The tablecloth is white to symbolize the purity of men and women who serve in the

military.

- A single red rose in a vase is a reminder that families of the missing keep the faith

awaiting their return.

- A red ribbon tied on the vase is reminiscent of the red ribbons worn on the lapels

of thousands on Veteran’s Day in acknowledgment

of missing military personnel.

- A lit candle symbolizes the unconquerable spirit of the missing.

- A slice of lemon on the bread plate is a reminder of their bitter fate.

- Salt on the bread plate symbolizes the tears of families as they await the return of

their loved ones.

- The wine glass is inverted because the missing are not present to join the toast.

Medical Center of Trinity is located 12 miles west of Land O’ Lakes on SR 54 in

New Port Richey. The Missing Man Memorial is open during hospital hours and is easy to find in the main lobby.

Leigh Massengill, Chief Executive Officer of Medical Center of Trinity, with the cadets.