Memorial Day One of Mourning for Airman`s Family

A memorial ceremony at the Little Rock National Cemetery paid special tribute, Monday, to a soldier listed as missing in action for the lst 38 years. With his remains finally recovered his family can lay him to rest, knowing what happened so many years ago. The Military Joint Task Force Full Accounting still works to retrieve the remains of military personnel killed at war. Sergeant Phillip Stickney`s were found in Vietnam in 1998 and identified earlier this year. May 31, 1966 Sergeant Stickeny and the crew on his C-130, named Radium I, were flying a mission over a dangerous zone in North Vietnam. They were shot down that day, but because the military could not confirm their deaths, Stickney and crew were listed as missing in action. Now that the family has closure, they still cry today, with tears of grief and mourning, no longer of doubt and uncertainty. His son, Phillip Jr. remembered and honored his father today. "I recall all the times we had together...My dad took extra assignments to make extra pay to provide for his family. That kind of cut short some of our times together," said Stickney during the ceremony. Stickney said times were hard for his parents back then. Today his mother is his other hero, because she found the strength to take care of the children and carry on after her husband`s disappearance. "On Memorial Day, we come here as debtors. And all of us collectively as American owe something. But in this case we can never repay it," said Governor Mike Huckabee during his Memorial Day Address. Huckabee says citizens can give their gratitude and respect to the families of fallen soldiers, because they have also made a great sacrifice. Sergeant Stickney will be buried Tuesday at the Arkansas State Veteran`s Cemetery. There are still 1,800 servicemen missing from the war in Vietnam, which ended in 1975.