By Talor Bennett
Special to the Sun
Woodford County will honor prisoners of war and service members missing in action during a POW/MIA Recognition and Remembrance Ceremony on Friday, Sept. 18.
The ceremony will begin at 10 a.m. at The District, 105 Rose Hill Ave., with a reception immediately following. A second ceremony will take place at 1 p.m. at Midway Cemetery, 431 W. Stephens St., Midway.
The event is a collaborative effort between the Woodford County Library, Woodford County Judge-Executive James Kay, the Woodford County Veterans Commission, American Legion Post 67, the cities of Versailles and Midway and The General Marquis Calmes DAR Chapter.
In the week leading up to the ceremony, local restaurants, schools, churches and civic organizations are invited to participate in America’s White Table, a symbolic table setting honoring service members who have fallen, are missing or were held captive in the line of duty. Participants can display a White Table from Sept. 12-18 and share photos on social media to help raise awareness and honor the sacrifices of POWs and MIAs.
Suzanne Conrad, outreach coordinator for the Woodford County Library, leads the local White Table initiative. Conrad was inspired to create the event in honor of her father, Edwin P. Hall Sr., a World War II POW. Hall was captured during the Battle of the Bulge after his tank was hit, leaving him the sole survivor of his unit. He was initially classified as missing in action and was released back to the U.S. Army after three weeks in captivity.
“This ceremony is our way of saying that we remember, we honor and we will never forget those who have sacrificed so much for our country,” Conrad said. “We invite all community members to join us in this important act of remembrance.”
This year’s Versailles ceremony will also feature the story of Charles Leslie Kaenzig, a Woodford County native and World War II POW. Kaenzig graduated from Versailles High School in 1939 and entered military service in 1942. He served as a bombardier in the European theater before his plane was shot down over northern Italy on Dec. 10, 1944. Kaenzig was captured by German troops and held at Stalag Luft I in Barth, Germany, for 141 days before being liberated on May 1, 1945.
Michael H. Ramsey, Kaenzig’s son-in-law, will share Kaenzig’s story and his family’s connection to his legacy during the Versailles ceremony. Ramsey compiled and documented information about Kaenzig’s military service and his life following World War II. “
For the Kaenzig family and me, it means a lot to be a part of the POW/MIA ceremony,” Ramsey said. “Charles Leslie Kaenzig’s memory, honor and legacy are on display for all of Woodford Countians to see and hear.”
Everyone is encouraged to bring military memorabilia (helmets, dog tags, photos, maps, uniforms, etc.) to display at the reception immediately following the Versailles ceremony. The General Marquis de Calmes Chapter of the DAR is hosting the reception in the Pavilion at The District. American Legion Post 67 will have staff on hand to provide information about veterans’ benefits for veterans and their families.