On Friday, Sept. 18th, the Hillsboro R-3 School District will come together for one of those traditions as students, staff and community members observe National POW/MIA Recognition Day with the district’s annual POW/MIA Vigil.
From 6 a.m. until midnight, participants will take turns standing vigil at the district’s permanent POW/MIA Memorial in front of Hillsboro Intermediate School.
The District is inviting the entire community to take part in the event. Come for 10 minutes, 20 minutes. Come and pay tribute as long as you'd like. Here is a link to the event in 2025.
For 18 hours, the message will remain the same: You Are Not Forgotten.
The vigil honors American prisoners of war, remembers those who remain missing in action and recognizes the families who have lived with the absence and uncertainty of their loved ones for generations.
The observance has become an important Hillsboro R-3 tradition, but its significance goes beyond a single day. It gives students an opportunity to see firsthand what it means for a community to remember those who served and sacrificed.
Students will stand alongside staff members and members of the community throughout the day, continuing a tradition that helps pass the responsibility of remembrance from one generation to the next.
Hillsboro is an official POW/MIA city, making the annual observance especially meaningful for the school district and surrounding community.
Community members are encouraged to stop by the memorial during the vigil, spend a few moments reflecting and join Hillsboro R-3 students and staff in honoring those who never returned home.
The POW/MIA Memorial is located in front of Hillsboro Intermediate School, 10478 Business 21. The vigil begins at 6 a.m. Friday and continues through midnight.
At Hillsboro R-3, remembrance is more than something we say.
It is something our community comes together to do.
You Are Not Forgotten.