Northeast POW/MIA Network History

The Vigil Every Thursday evenings starting at 7:00 p.m. E.D.T. people gather in Hesky Park, located in Meredith, New Hampshire, on the shore of Lake Winnipesaukee. The Thursday evening Vigils started in August of 1989 in an effort to raise awareness about the abandonment of Prisoners of War and those Missing in Action. The first Vigil lasted 15 minutes; one minute to symbolize each year since the US State Department declared, "There are no more prisoners in Southeast Asia. They are all dead." The vigil now spans 32 minutes. The Meredith POW/MIA Vigil is believed to be the longest consecutively held vigil in the United States. There has never been a Thursday night Vigil unattended since its inception. Attendance ranges from 3-4 in the depths of winter to approximately 2000 during Motorcycle Week in June, which features the Freedom Ride. Vigil goers have weathered rain, sleet, snow, hail, thunder, lightning, and even temperatures of -37 degrees Fahrenheit. The Meredith Vigil continues. It stands as a pillar of truth, honor, credibility, integrity, and loyalty in the northeast. Those who stand the Vigil believe the words closure and healing should never replace the words responsibility and loyalty.