The table is round - to show our everlasting concern for our missing men and women. The tablecloth is white symbolizing the purity of their motives when answering the call to duty.
The single red rose, displayed in a vase, reminds us of the life of each of the missing, and the loved ones and friends of these Americans who keep the faith, awaiting answers.
The vase is tied with a yellow ribbon, symbolic of our continued determination to account for those missing. A slice of lemon on the bread plate is to remind us of the bitter fate of those captured and missing in a foreign land. A pinch of salt symbolizes the tears endured by those missing and their families who seek answers. The glass is inverted - to symbolize their inability to share this evening's toast. The chairs are empty, - they are missing.