An empty chair sits in Congresswoman Malliotakis’ office to remind us of all who went to war, but never came home

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — On June 6, the 78th anniversary of D-Working day, the day that commemorates the procedure that brought together land, air and sea forces of the allied armies in Normandy France — regarded as the most significant invasion power in human historical past — Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis was awarded a POW-MIA Chair of Honor from the Rolling Thunder Chapter 2 New York.

The chair will be shown in her Staten Island district office environment as element of the organization’s National POW-MIA Chair of Honor System.

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A POW-MIA chair in any area is to keep on being perpetually vacant to bear in mind the troopers who are still lacking in motion or became prisoners of war and have yet to return residence to their people.

“Right now, there are far more than 81,000 lacking courageous Us citizens as a consequence of war and conflict all-around the globe,” claimed Malliotakis. “I’m honored to display screen this chair in our workplace as a long lasting tribute to the courageous adult males and gals who’ve honorably served our nation overseas but unfortunately hardly ever manufactured it residence. We ought to do far more as a grateful country to elevate focus to this situation and get the job done toward the repatriation of all our POW/MIA soldiers. Thank you Rolling Thunder for supplying this chair to serve as a reminder to all who enter that liberty is not no cost.”

Last calendar year, Malliotakis honored the daily life of Personal Initial Course Raymond Smith, a Brooklyn indigenous who went missing in action for the duration of the Struggle of Chosin Reservoir in the Korean War, a person of the most brutal conflicts in present day historical past.

In September 2021, soon after 71 many years, Smith’s remains were being recognized and returned to New York, where he was “welcomed home” by his family members, a whole U.S. military honor guard, and the Port Authority Law enforcement.

“We thank Congresswoman Malliotakis for allowing for us to put this POW Chair of Honor,” reported Vinny Perno, president of Rolling Thunder Chapter 2 New York. “The POW Chair of Honor will sit empty in remembrance of all those brave guys and girls who never returned, and continue being lacking in motion.”