An Air Force pilot and his widow will be honored in a ceremony Tuesday in Coronado. At the event, a special photo will be given to her.
It represents the family’s struggles after her husband's plane went down over Vietnam in 1966.
The photo is a painting of Pat Mearns’ two daughters, Frances and Missy, writing a letter to God, praying for their father to return home. Col. Arthur Mearns, who as a major at the time, was assumed to be a prisoner of war.
It took 11 years for the family to receive the official notice of death. At this time, his remains' whereabouts are unknown.
Pat remembers the excitement in the days before her husband left on his final mission. It was nearly his 100th, making him eligible to serve at home but he was shot down.
Not knowing his fate, she worked tirelessly for prisoners of war and those missing in action to be acknowledged.
“I wrote a letter to each of the congressmen and senators asking them to remember all of the MIAs and POWs,” she said.
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During those difficult years of uncertainty, the painting was created showing Pat's daughters asking God to return their father to them. It was commissioned by the Pentagon.
To this day, it still conjures up painful memories of loss.
“I teared up and cried,” she said. “Because it was very heart-rending, and I guess it affected a lot of other people too.”
It made such an impression that one of the congressmen she met, Rep. Edward Hebert from Louisiana. Hebert was the chairman of the Armed Forces Committee and he asked for a copy.
And after decades hanging in his office and later at Tulane University, the congressman's family is giving it to Pat, to remember her husband and her efforts to support military families.
While she appreciates the recognition, the photo brings back memories of one of the most difficult episodes in her life.
“It's just been a very trying time for me,” she said. “I'm so emotionally involved even after 50 years.”.
Pat hopes that the photo will help Vietnam Veterans and their families, as she feels they have not received the recognition they deserve.
The ceremony will take place at 2 p.m. Tuesday at Star Park Circle in Coronado. It is open to the public but RSVPs are appreciated.
