Ribbons of Remembrance for Americans Held in China Butler County Kansas

RIBBONS OF REMEMBRANCE FOR AMERICANS HELD IN CHINA

(El Dorado Times ~ Tuesday, 10 April 2001 ~ Transcribed by Lori DeWinkler)

By Steve Smith

Times Staff Write

The plight of two dozen people half a world away was on Stan Cox's mind Monday morning when he went before Butler County commissioners.

His idea to honor them got the full and enthusiastic support of the County's governing body. So late Monday afternoon the Butler County sheriff was joined at the flagpole in front of the County Courthouse by Undersheriff Mike Garnett and members of the courthouse security staff in putting up his own remembrance of those people

More than a week ago an American surveillance plane was forced to make an emergency landing on mainland China after it was clipped by a Chinese fighter jet which then crashed into the sea.

Since then the plane and its 24-member crew have been detained by the Chinese government. And as the stand-off between China and the U.S. over the incident continues, Cox took the initiative to arrange a local show of support for the crew.

Cox placed 24 yellow ribbons on the courthouse flagpole. He said the ribbons will remain until the U.S. crew comes home.

With U.S. military personnel being held in a communist country, Cox said, "as a community we need to show our support for those people and their families."

One member of the crew is from Kansas, noted Cox (himself a U.S. Army veteran) "and we particularly need to remember" him and his family "in our thoughts and prayers."

After commissioners gave him the go-ahead, Cox said, Walter's Flowers and Interiors did a "rush order" so that he could get the ribbons up Monday afternoon.

"I was glad to be able to have the opportunity to do it," said Harold Harmon, owner of Walter's and an Army veteran of the Vietnam war.

It was a project he was able to work into his schedule, Harmon said, adding "any time we get to honor our armed forces" and let the public know "they are out there working for us" that kind of an effort has special significance for him.

"We support everyone else" when Americans go in harm's way, Cox remarked, "and we need to support these people, too.

"They have families, they're American soldiers and they're special people, so we need to take care of them."

Last update 11/17/2007