ANNAPOLIS, Md. –
The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency senior operations officer delivered remarks to fellow alumni marking National POW/MIA Recognition Day at the U.S. Naval Academy on Sept. 19, 2025.
Jon Figuerres, a member of the academy’s class of 1985, addressed his fellow alumni, who gathered at the Naval Academy to celebrate their 40th class reunion.
During his remarks, Figuerres presented a POW/MIA flag, now flying at Hospital Point, and a poster listing the 55 U.S. Naval Academy alumni still unaccounted for from the Vietnam War. The poster was created by Jeanie Huffman, daughter of Navy Cmdr. Edward Jacobs Jr., missing in action since 1967.
“Our class was uniquely shaped by Naval Academy leaders who themselves had endured captivity during the Vietnam War and who became living examples of resilience, courage and honor,” Figuerres said.
Some notable figures included: Navy Vice Adm. William P. Lawrence, superintendent of the Naval Academy from 1978 to 1981 and former POW; Navy Cmdr. Paul Galanti, battalion officer and former POW; Navy Capt. John “Mike” McGrath, chair of leadership & law and former POW; and Navy Capt. Richard “Dick” Stratton, senior officer at the Naval Academy and former POW.
Other notable figures that influenced the class of ’85 were Sen. John McCain, who often joined their class at tailgates and inspired them through his own POW experience, and Navy Vice Adm. James Stockdale, Medal of Honor recipient, former POW, and later a vice-presidential candidate.
“These men left a lasting imprint on the Class of 1985,” Figuerres said. “As plebes, we studied their stories. As young leaders, we drew strength from their example. They taught us that even our hardest days at the Academy were insignificant compared to their hardest days in captivity and that true leadership is forged in sacrifice.”
The ceremony reaffirmed that the Naval Academy remembers its missing graduates and continues to live out the Warrior Ethos: “I will never leave a fallen comrade.”