786th Civil Engineer Squadron remembers fallen

Photos by Airman 1st Class Joshua Magbanua
A Prisoner-of-War, Missing-in-Action flag flies during a memorial service Feb. 17 on Ramstein. The POW-MIA flag symbolizes the U.S. commitment to resolving the fates of Americans being held by enemy forces or who are unaccounted for. According to www.dpaa.mil, the total number of U.S. troops unaccounted for in past conflicts remains at 82,600 as of Feb. 7.
Airmen from the 786th Civil Engineer Squadron stand at parade rest during a memorial service for the River Rats Memorial monument Feb. 17 on Ramstein. The Red River Rats Fighter Pilots Association, which was formed during the Vietnam War, established the monument at Ramstein in 1976 to commemorate Airmen who never returned from Vietnam.
Retired Col. Swede Seagren, a Vietnam War veteran and original member of the Red River Rats Fighter Pilots Association, speaks to members of the 786th Civil Engineer Squadron during a memorial service Feb. 17 on Ramstein. The 786 CES repaired the River Rats Memorial monument in January and conducted the memorial service to mark its re-dedication. The monument commemorates those who lost their lives in the Vietnam War.
Vietnam War veterans raise a toast during a memorial service for the River Rats Memorial monument Feb. 17 on Ramstein. The Red River Rats Fighter Pilots Association, which was comprised of those who flew missions over the Red River Valley in Vietnam, established the monument in 1976 to commemorate Airmen who never returned from the war. Of more than two million U.S. troops who served in Vietnam, more than 55,000 lost their lives.
Retired Col. Swede Seagren, a Vietnam War veteran and original member of the Red River Rats Fighter Pilots Association, gives a speech in front of the Red River Memorial monument Feb. 17. The monument serves as a reminder of those who lost their lives in the Vietnam War. The 786th Civil Engineer Squadron repaired the monument in January and held a memorial service to mark its re-dedication.
Lt. Col. Richard D. Engelman, 786th Civil Engineer Squadron commander, briefs his Airmen about the history of the River Rats Memorial monument Feb. 17 on Ramstein. The monument was established by Red River Rats Fighter Pilots Association Ramstein in 1976 to commemorate those who lost their lives in the Vietnam War.