30th Watch Fire will honor POW/MIA veterans

Next week, at 7 p.m. Sept. 17, Myers Park will hold its 30th Watch Fire, honoring and remembering American Prisoners of War and Missing in Action (POW/MIA).

The event, sponsored by the Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA) Chapters 377 and 704, was not held at Myers Point last year due to COVID-19 but was commemorated virtually in 2020 with a video created by local armed services organizations.

Michael Moran, secretary of VVA Chapter 377, explained the history of the watchfire and its modern meaning.

“The watchfire is an ancient military signaling thing that was done after battles; the Romans and the Huns and all those would light fires after battles so that the wounded and the missing would find their way home,” Moran said. “So, that’s why Vietnam Veterans picked it as a symbol to keep the POW, Missing in Action issue in the front of the American public, and that’s why we do it.”

The Watch Fire is held on the third Friday in September, corresponding with National POW/MIA Recognition Day, which has been observed across the county since 1989, with the first Lansing Watch Fire at Myers Point held in 1990.

According to the United States Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, over 81,600 Americans remain missing from past conflicts since World War II, of whom 41,000 are presumed to have been lost at sea. 

“American military are taught two things,” Moran said. “One, that you fight for each other — yes, you fight for your country, but you’re really fighting to protect each other, your battle buddies, they call it now. And the second thing is no person left behind. So, after Vietnam, the League of POW/MIA Families was continually pushing Congress to find out what happened to them, were they being treated well, etc. And Vietnam Veterans America, as a veterans organization, was a major part of that. And that puts Missing in Action/POW out in the public.”

According to the National League of POW/MIA Families, as of Sept. 7, the number of Americans missing and unaccounted for from the Vietnam War is 1,584.

The Watch Fire is open to the public, and all are welcome to attend and pay their respects at the ceremony of remembrance, which is supported by the Cornell University Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC). People are invited to bring worn, tattered American flags to be placed on the fire as part of the flag retirement ceremony to properly dispose of old American flags. Those with wood to burn are also invited to bring it to the fire.

“It’ll be patriotic; it will be solemn,” Moran said. “It’s short. It’s a half hour, and after the Watch Fire is lit — they’re very large bonfires, 20 feet wide, 30, 40 feet long — people stand around and talk … with each other. And it’s nicely done and defended by different veterans groups, and it’s just a chance for the community to get together.”

Those looking for more information can contact Gary Napieracz of VVA 377 at (315) 730-7726.

In Brief:

LCSD Fall Opening

Classes begin Sept. 13 for all students at Lansing schools, with orientation on Sept. 10 for pre-K, kindergarten, fifth grade and ninth grade. Doors open at 7:35 a.m., classes begin at 7:55 a.m., and school ends at 2:25 p.m. After School will not begin until Oct. 4 and will run from 2:30 to 3 p.m.

Mental Health community Zoom

LCSD school psychologist Dana Robson will host the Mental Health Matters Community Zoom for all LHS students and families at 7 p.m. Sept. 8. All students and families are welcome to join via the Zoom link at tinyurl.com/2p2b58he. Those seeking more information can visit lansingschools.org/domain/21. 

Lansing Lunchbox free meals

Lansing Lunchbox provides free breakfast and lunch to children in the Lansing Central School District. Upcoming fall 2021 distribution dates include Sept. 21 & 22, Oct. 5 & 6, 19 & 20 and Nov. 2 & 3 and 16 & 17. Sign-up is required ahead of distribution. All LCSD families are eligible. For more information, visit the Facebook page @LansingLunchbox or email at lansingsummerlunchbox@gmail.com.

Food Sharing Cabinets

Those looking for free food or to donate food items can pick up or drop off at any of the four food cabinets in Lansing: The Meadows Townhomes, 100 Graham Rd.; DeWitt Middle School, 56 Warren Rd.; All Saints Church, 347 Ridge Rd.; 29 Auburn Rd. For more information or locations, visit the Mutual Aid Tompkins website at mutualaidtompkins.com/food-sharing/locations.

Special Town Board Meeting

There will be a special Town Board meeting Sept. 6 at 6:30 p.m. held at the Lansing Town Hall Board Room, with virtual live viewing available on the Town’s YouTube channel at youtube.com/channel/UCs2FqU2xFnDyGS8DwXgoJwA. 

As of Sept. 2, the agenda includes a resolution appointing highway superintendent, deputy highway superintendent and working supervisor at the Highway Department and the authorizing of Conservation Advisory Council and Town Counsel to prepare a letter generally supporting intervention by New York State Department of Environmental Conservation to acquire, establish and manage a publicly accessible conservation area at Bell Station.