The POW/MIA Flag honors past and present prisoners of war as well as servicemembers declared missing in action. (Photo: Newt Heisley)
Every third Friday in September, National POW/MIA Recognition day is celebrated to honor past and present prisoners of war and military members who never returned home from their service.
America’s Missing in Action
The Department of Defense lists 83,204 American servicemembers as missing in action. Of that number:
- 73,547 served in World War II
- 7,883 served in the Korean War
- 1,642 served in the Vietnam War, including 116 Californians
- 126 served in the Cold War
- Six served in the War on Terrorism
No current U.S. servicemembers are labeled as prisoners of war. However, there is evidence that several American Veterans volunteering in Ukraine have been captured by Russian Forces since the invasion began in Feb. 2022. The U.S. State Department does not condone travel to Ukraine for any reason.
National POW/MIA Recognition Day Was Established in 1998
National POW/MIA Recognition Day was established by the 1998 Defense Authorization Act to recognize the sacrifice of servicemembers and veterans who were previously taken prisoner or declared missing in action during their service. The date is one of six days throughout the calendar year that the POW/MIA Flag may be flown beneath the U.S. flag on government buildings.
While National POW/MIA Recognition Day honors all former prisoners of war and those who are still declared missing in action, the day is most associated with the Vietnam War.
Readers can learn about more important veterans dates here.
Author: Christian Southards
Coming from a family with a proud military background and wanting to contribute his writing skills to a worthy cause, Christian began writing for the California American Legion in August of 2020. His father is a 25-year Army Veteran and his grandfather served in the Navy during Vietnam.
