A U.S. Marine from the St. Louis area who was held captive in Iran for 444 days will be the featured speaker at Wednesday morning’s governor’s prayer breakfast in Jefferson City. Hundreds of people are attending the breakfast at Capitol Plaza Hotel.
Rodney “Rocky” Sickmann was born in St. Louis and graduated from Washington high school in 1976 before joining the Marines. He was posted to the U.S. Embassy in Iran in 1979 just weeks before the revolution in that country. Rocky spent 444 days in captivity.
The theme of this year’s breakfast is “One Nation Under God”. The Missouri Governor’s Prayer Breakfast is an annual faith-based event for all state leaders and citizens, with the purpose of seeking God’s guidance for state government leaders at the start of the legislative session.
Mizzou football and basketball broadcaster Mike Kelly is the emcee of the breakfast, and the invocation will be delivered by Bishop Ralph O’Donnell of the Diocese of Jefferson City. The national anthem will be performed by Riley Wilson of the Boonslick Technical Education Center in Boonville. Music will be provided by the Missouri National Guard’s 135th Army Band.
“Wake Up Missouri” is live on-location Wednesday morning at the prayer breakfast from 6-9 am.