Clobbering down the path to Old Main in a pair of Birkenstocks, shorts and headphones, a student seemed oblivious to the fall weather approaching and the Prisoner of War/Missing in Action flag being raised.

But then he stopped, slipped off the headphones and watched.

A tri-service Honor Guard, including the Penn State Air Force ROTC, Army ROTC and Navy ROTC, held its annual 24-hour vigil to honor POW/MIA's this weekend.

The service began at 5:30 p.m. Friday at Old Main and concluded at the same time Saturday.

It included the raising of the flags, a 21-gun salute, 24-hour silent guard and a candlelit march from the Nittany Lion Shrine to the steps of Old Main.

"Many people ask what they can do to honor these soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice. A return to patriotism and a brief pause is honor enough," said Cadet Anne Zlotorzynski (junior-psychology) at a closing speech Saturday.

The silent guard involved hour rotations, plus two half-hour shifts. Members of the three branches took 21 steps every 21 seconds for an hour.

A weapon check was completed once an hour, said Cadet Heather Clapper (senior-international politics).

"The silent guard symbolizes that the lone soldier is waiting for the soldiers who haven't come home. It's symbolic, it shows respect," Clapper said.

A round table with a white tablecloth, a red rose, an inverted wine glass, salt and a lemon were placed by the steps of Old Main to symbolize the emotions of both the POW's and their families.

The tablecloth represents the purity of intentions; the rose represents the faith of the loved ones, and the inverted glass means that no one will be toasted.

The lemon is symbolic of the soldier's bitter fate and the salt signifies the tears of the families.

A little boy with blonde hair and a blue-hooded sweatshirt jumped onto the ledge of Old Main and placed his hand over his heart as the flags were raised, standing as still as a soldier.

"We want our little guy to appreciate the sacrifices that were made for him. Some of us still have people missing," said Kate Pasch of State College.

Eleven members of Penn State's Air Force ROTC are missing in action, said Steve Paladini, commander of the unit and professor of aerospace studies.

"It's easy to remember the people who were unaccounted for. Over 2,000 people are missing in action. It's wrong to forget the sacrifice that they made and the sacrifice that their families made," Paladini said.

A replica of a tiger cage, which was a form of torture that American POW's were exposed to in Vietnam, was also placed on Old Main.

The cage was too small to stand in, but too narrow to sit in, causing cramping in the leg and back.

"It could be any of us someday. . .It's a very emotional experience," said Cadet Amy Stahler (senior-industrial engineering).

Each of the respective ROTC services, Air Force, Army and Navy are the largest at Penn State in all Big Ten schools, Paladini said.

The vigil concluded with a silent march, final inspection of the weapon, relief of the guard and the removal of the POW/MIA flag, American flag and the Pennsylvania flag.