United States Department of Defense Press Advisory On the web: Media contact: +1 (703) 697-5131 Public contact: http://www.dod.mil/faq/comment.html or +1 (703) 428-0711

Deputy Secretary of Defense Rudy de Leon will host a full honors ceremony for National POW/MIA Recognition Day at 11:30 a.m. (EDT), Friday, Sept. 15, 2000.

Former Vietnam prisoner of war Gene Smith will be the keynote speaker. Smith was shot down over Hanoi on Oct. 25, 1967, while flying an F-105D Thunderchief on his 33rd mission. He served over five and one-half years in captivity.

The ceremony will be held on the River Parade Field of the Pentagon.

Media must be at the River Parade Field no later than 11:10 a.m. EDT. Media interested in audiovisual coverage of this event may contact Terry Mitchell at (703) 695-0169.

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