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By Rudi Williams
American Forces Press Service

ARLINGTON, Va., Dec. 5, 2003 - Peggy Marish-Boos had been
assigned here to the Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office
for two years when she finally asked, "Why don't we ever
have a Christmas or holiday tree?"

"Somebody said the government doesn't provide funds for
such frivolous things," said Marish-Boos, who back then in
1998 was an Army master sergeant intelligence analyst. So
she bought a tree with her own money. "A couple of people
found out that I'd spent $100 of my own money," she noted,
"so they pitched in."

But a traditionally decorated Christmas tree with colorful
lights and glittering ornaments isn't what Marish-Boos had
in mind. Her idea was to have an ornament-free, lightless
tree decorated with nearly 2,000 3-by-5 cards featuring the
name, rank and date the serviceman became missing in
action. Each card was attached with a ribbon denoting the
war from which the service member was missing.

"Red, white and blue yarn represents MIAs from Vietnam War,
Korean War and the Cold War, respectively," Marish-Boos
explained.

This year, she added a special touch -- photographs of some
of the missing servicemen. Debbie Landon, who works in the
family section of the DPMO communications directorate,
helped decorate.

While attending the National League of Families annual
meeting in 1999, Marish-Boos told the forum about the
recognition tree. She asked them to send her a photograph
of their missing serviceman, which she would attach to the
tree.

So far, only about 10 families have sent pictures. But
Marish-Boos said that's a start, and she hopes to have more
photographs for next year's tree. She puts the pictures in
a plastic keychain and hangs them on the tree with the
name, rank and date the serviceman became missing.

"This gives us a face to put with the name," she noted.
"Some are pictures of the guy in uniform and some are of
the guys when they were younger, taking care of their
brothers or sisters on the farm. It's quite touching."

A sign on the tree reads: "The holiday season is a time for
us all to reflect. The Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office
regards 'Keeping the Promise' as our solemn duty. It
reflects the spirit and sense of commitment with which we
conduct our daily mission - to return our nation's warriors
to their families. The tree reminds us that there are so
many yet to come home."

"After the first of the year, I take the tree down and
store it for the next year," she noted. "The day after
Thanksgiving, I set it up using the same cards the kids
wrote."

Names of the missing from Vietnam were written in 1998 on
the cards by students from Londontown Elementary School in
Centreville, Va., and Fort Belvoir (Va.) Elementary School,
Marish-Boos noted. "The kids decorated with glitter, bingo
blotters and personalized the cards with their own
handwriting," she said. "Me and a couple of folks in the
office wrote the names from Korean War and Cold War"
missing."

Since there are more than 88,000 servicemen classified by
DoD as missing in action, it's impossible for her to put
all of their names on the holiday tree. Defense records
show that more than 78,000 servicemen are still missing
from World War II, 8,100 from the Korean War, more than
1,800 from the Vietnam War, 123 from the Cold War and three
from Operation Desert Storm.

"The idea was to remind those of us who work here why we do
what we do," said Marish-Boos, now a DoD civilian employee
in the DPMO Public Affairs Office. "Even though we've made
great accomplishments, there are so many more missing
servicemen we have yet to return home.

"So the tree is our reminder - a way to reflect on the
missing," she said. "Our office is the head honcho for the
DoD POW/MIA issue, so it makes sense that that's the kind
of tree we would have - no lights, no fancy ornaments, just
names of the guys who haven't come home yet."

Marish-Boos said everybody falls in love with the tree when
they realize its purpose. "Some visitors said they want to
do the same thing at their American Legion or Veterans of
Foreign Wars post," she said. "I know American Legion Post
101 in Pharr, Texas, has a tree with the names of the
missing in action from Texas."

200312056a.jpg A picture of Army Cpl. Samuel C. "Sam Jr."
Harris when he was about 14 years old holding his younger
sister, Barbara Ann Harris, 2, at their home in
Rogersville, Tenn., around 1946. Harris became missing in
action during the Korean War on Nov. 27, 1950. He was a
member of Company C, 65th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry
Division. His sister, Margie Griswold, submitted the
photograph. The photo, one of about 10 missing servicemen,
is part of this year's POW/MIA Holiday Tree at the Defense
POW/Missing Personnel Office. Photo by Rudi Williams.

200312056a_hr.jpg High resolution photo.

200312056b.jpg This year's POW/MIA Holiday Tree,
affectionately called "Peggy's Christmas Tree" by the staff
at the Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office, includes
pictures of about 10 missing servicemen. Peggy Marish-Boos,
a retired Army master sergeant, started the holiday tree
tradition in 1998. Pictured on the tree from left to right
clockwise is Master Sgt. Paul T. Embrey, lost during the
Korean War on Nov. 28, 1950; Air Force Master Sgt. Russell
Peter Bott, lost Dec. 2, 1966, during the Vietnam War; Earl
Pearson Hopper Jr., lost date Jan. 10, 1968, during the
Vietnam War, and remains found and identified Jan. 16,
2002; and Army Staff Sgt. Stephen J. Geist, lost Sept. 26,
1967, during the Vietnam War. Photo by Rudi Williams.

200312056b_hr.jpg High resolution photo.

200312056c.jpg Peggy Marish-Boos, left, and Debbie Landon
pose by the "POW/MIA Holiday Tree" they decorated it as a
reminder to people in the Defense POW/Missing Personnel
Office of why they do what they do. At the left is the 2003
National POW/MIA Recognition Day poster. Photo by Rudi
Williams.

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