The Vietnam Veterans and Legacy Veterans Motorcycle Clubs gathered at the Veterans Memorial in Fountain Hills Friday morning to remembers the thousands of American military personnel still unaccounted for from past conflicts for National POW/MIA Recognition Day, to remind citizens not to forget these brave men and women.

State Representative John Kavanagh noted that 1,741 are still missing and unaccounted for from the Vietnam War alone.

“That number is a statistic, but it is important for us to remember that behind those numbers are human beings,” Kavanagh said. “We gather here to assure them that 1,741 is not just a number and promise they will always be so much more than a mere statistic.”

Brigadier General Anthony (Bud) Farrington (USAF ret.). was the keynote speaker. Farrington was a witness to the shooting down of now U.S. Senator John McCain R-AZ, near Hanoi and recalled how he “visited” McCain and other prisoners at “Hanoi Hilton” nearly 200 times as he flew missions over North Vietnam.

Farrington said his fast aircraft is what allowed him to come in over the prison at low altitude and get away. He said he wanted them to know we knew they were still there and thinking about them.

Farrington said he has met McCain and visited him on a number of occasions over the years since the end of the war.

John Jones and Jack Lee representing the motorcycle clubs presented Fountain Hills Mayor Linda Kavanagh with a POW/MIA wreath in appreciation for hosting the event.