Honoring our Veterans on Veterans Day 11-11-2025

At the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, Veterans were honored and remembered at the Mount Kisco Veterans Day Ceremony. This is a day to thank our veterans for their service and commitment to protecting and preserving the freedoms that define who we are as a nation.

The ceremony was led by the American Legion Moses Taylor Jr. Post 136, and included the Missing Man Table which honors the fallen, missing, or imprisoned military service members. The following items, as described by the National POW/MIA Memorial & Museum (powmiamemorial.org), serve as a tribute to those who have not made it home:

The table is set for one. The chair is empty – they are not here.
The table is round to show our everlasting concern.
The cloth is white, symbolizing the purity of their intentions to respond to their country’s call to arms.
The black napkin represents the sorrow for those still missing.
The single red rose in a vase reminds us of the lives of these Americans and their loved ones and friends who keep the faith while seeking answers.
The yellow ribbon around the vase symbolizes our continued uncertainty, our hope for their return, and a demand for proper accounting of those who are not among us today.
A slice of lemon on the plate reminds us of their bitter fate, captured or missing in a foreign land while serving our country.
Grains of salt on the plate remind us of the countless fallen tears of families who continue to long for answers.
An inverted glass symbolizes their inability to share a toast.
The lighted white candle reflects hope that our missing will return some day.
The Bible represents the strength gained through faith to sustain us and those lost from our country, founded as one nation under God.
They are missing…… REMEMBER

Members of Polly Cooper, a chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR.org) were in attendance and placed a wreath at the Veterans Memorial. The DAR is a non-profit, non-political women’s service organization founded in 1890 to preserve the memory and spirit of those who contributed to securing American independence. The Polly Cooper Chapter supports and recognizes veterans and active-duty military throughout the year. To learn more about the Polly Cooper Chapter’s activities and service, please email info@pollycooperdar.org.