Fallen Comrades / Missing Man & Honors Table Ceremony

Combined and simplified ceremony to honor US military and civilian POW, MIA, and KIA. This ceremony also specifically honors those Americans lost during the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Requires only one place setting. Service caps and Honor Guard are not used for this ceremony.

Complete Script

Recording of Taps

Taking Orders Now...

Click here to order your Complete Ceremonial Kit today!

SKIP offers complete kits for the Fallen Comrades / Missing Man and Honors Table Ceremony (minus the table, chair, and lemon). Quality and durability are key factors for these kits; we want them to last and make a good impression on your guests. Each kit includes:

• 1 white polyester 70" round tablecloth
• 1 polycarbonate wine glass
• 2 white melamine plates (dinner plate and bread plate)
• 1 place setting of metal flatware (2 forks, spoon, knife)
• 1 red cloth napkin
• 2 packets of table salt
• 1 battery-powered candle (with AA batteries)
• 1 silk red rose
• 1 durable plastic bud vase with red ribbon
• 1 Bible
• 1 printed copy of the complete script
• 1 CD of the studio recorded "Taps"
• 1 set of easy to follow instructions for setting up the table

For all of this, you only pay $50 plus flat-rate shipping. What a great bargain!

SKIP is the first and only to offer these kits and we're doing it with the hope that more Americans will begin honoring our fallen, missing, and POWs at every event with this simple, brief, yet powerful ceremony.

Click here to order your Complete Ceremonial Kit today!

As They Were

Missing Man and Honors Table Ceremony

The Missing Man and Honors Table Ceremony specifically pertains to paying tribute and respect to those who are declared Missing in Action (MIA) and those who have not been returned home after being taken Prisoner of War (POW). The ceremony consists of placing service caps of all five (5) branches of the U.S. military (Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marine Corps, and Navy) and a civilian cap at a table set for six (6); this is usually done by an Honor Guard as part of the ceremony. This ceremony also usually utilizes a black cloth POW/MIA covering for the backs of the chairs. Each item's significance varies from script to script, along with the color of the ribbon tied around the vase and whether or not the candle symbolizes anything.

Fallen Comrades Table Ceremony

The Fallen Comrades Table Ceremony is sometimes tacked onto the end of the Missing Man and Honors Table Ceremony, but often times it is left out due to time constraints or a misinterpretation that the Missing Man and Honors Table Ceremony covers our Fallen, too. The Fallen Comrades Table Ceremony, if tacked on at then end of the Missing Man and Honors Table Ceremony is brief and consists primarily of a toast to our Fallen. The actual Fallen Comrades Table Ceremony, however, mimics the Missing Man and Honors Table Ceremony almost word for word. The exceptions are that this ceremony specifically honors those who have been Killed in Action (KIA) and doesn't tread into MIA or POW territory and usually only one place setting is used. Again, the colors of items and the symbolic meaning of each item vary from script to script.

The Two Ceremonies Merged

"Finding a script that encompassed side-by-side narratives to honor our Fallen and our Missing was nearly an impossible task. I examined several scripts and ceremony details of slight variation as I thought about the ways to best merge the two ceremonies into one. And I made lists along the way; what synced and what didn't; what the script lacked; the length of time it took to read the script; colors symbolic items and how many place settings; and how I'd improve the script. The end result was this specially adapted 6-minute ceremony that really hits home with everyone present, even those who have never served in the military." - Skip Spoerke

What you'll need for this ceremony

1. A small, round bistro table
2. White tablecloth
3. Single place setting, preferably all white
4. Wine glass - inverted
5. Slice of lemon on bread plate
6. Pinch of salt on bread plate
7. Small bud vase
8. Long-stemmed single red rose
9. Red ribbon tied around the vase
10. Empty chair
11. Bible

OPTIONAL ITEMS

• candle
• red cloth napkin