FAIRBORN — National POW/MIA Recognition day is Sept. 15, and the Military History Museum has a special event to symbolize these lost soldiers’ importance.
Raymond Prater will be presented with a Bronze Star Medal in recognition of his late father, Sergeant Lacy L. Prater, who served in the Philippine Islands Campaign between Dec. 7, 1941 and May 10, 1942.
Prater will be at the museum, 4 E. Main Street, Fairborn, at 4 p.m. prior to the presentation at 6 p.m. to share documents that he has collected over the years regarding his father’s experience in war.
The Bronze Star Medal is a decoration awarded to members of the armed forces of either heroic achievement, heroic service, meritorious achievement or meritorious service in a combat zone.
Lacy Prater was taken as a Prisoner of War (POW) in the Philippines and was subjected to the Bataan Death March before working in a nickel mine at Oeyama. By the time Prater was liberated in 1945, he weighed just 100 pounds and his mother had died when we returned to the United States.
According to public affairs officer and board treasurer Catherine Beers-Conrad, this will be a heartwarming event for Prater and an opportunity to honor his father’s sacrifice. Parking and admission is free at the museum.
Contact Ethan Charles at 937-502-4532.
