POW Medal presentation

Air Force Col. James C. Hodges, Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst and 87th Air Base Wing commander, JB MDL, N.J., presented Jean Lawler, spouse of deceased Lt. Col. Lawrence T. Lawler, a Prisoner of War Medal recipient, as Larry Lawler Jr., son of POW, looks on at the Bristol Glen Continuing Care Retirement Community in Newton, N.J., Aug. 11, 2014. The POW medal was presented for Lawler's internment during World War II, when he and his crew were forced to bail out from their severely damaged B-17 Flying Fortress over neutral Switzerland. Lawler was imprisoned from March to December 1944 before successfully escaping from the infamous Wauwilermoos Prison. The POW medal was authorized by Congress for any person who served honorably as a POW after April 5, 1945. It is estimated that 142,000 U.S. service members were held as prisoners in WWI, WWII, Korean and Vietnam War. The medal recognizes the special service POWs gave to their country and the suffering and anguish they endured while incarcerated. (U.S. Air Force photo by Pascual Flores/Released)