POW/MIA Recognition Day is observed on the third Friday of September, which is September 15 this year, to recommit to full accountability to the families of the more than 80,000 veterans captured or still missing from U.S.-involved conflicts. During the first ceremony of POW/MIA Day at the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C., fighter aircraft from the military base in Virginia flew in the’missing man formation’ in their honour, according to reports.
The background of National POW/MIA Recognition Day
National POW/MIA Recognition Day is observed annually in September with a focus on full accountability to the families of prisoners of war and missing in action service members.
POW and MIA are abbreviations for prisoner of war and military personnel who went missing in action, respectively.
National POW/MIA Recognition Day was established to commemorate with the families of many of the tens of thousands of service members who never returned home after suffering as prisoners during the numerous conflicts that have occurred in U.S. history.
The day was first observed in 1979 after Congress and the president passed a resolution making it official in response to the demands of the families of 2,500 POW/MIAs from the Vietnam War who demanded accountability for the whereabouts of their loved ones.Additionally, it is most commonly associated with Vietnam War captives of war.
National POW/MIA Recognition Day ceremonies, regardless of where they are conducted in the country, honour those who were held captive and returned, as well as the memory of those who remain missing in service to the United States.
The first commemoration of POW/MIA day was held at the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C., in 1979. Since then, the official observance has taken place at the Pentagon, with other celebrations occurring at military bases across the country and elsewhere.
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5 Facts Regarding National POW/MIA Recognition Day
You Are Not Forgotten is the fundamental motto of POW/MIA Recognition Day.
National POW/MIA Recognition Day is the consequence of the families of more than 2,500 POW/MIAs from the Vietnam War demanding accountability.
The POW/MIA Accounting Agency endeavours to account for the more than 80,000 Americans who fought in multiple wars but remain unaccounted for.
A widely recognised flag in the United States was designed by the widow of a POW and adopted and recognised by Congress.
The POW/MIA Accounting Agency has created a poster to commemorate National POW/MIA Recognition Day annually since 1999.
NATIONAL POW/MIA RECOGNITION DAY DATES
| Year | Date | Day |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | September 17 | Friday |
| 2022 | September 16 | Friday |
| 2023 | September 15 | Friday |
| 2024 | September 20 | Friday |
| 2025 | September 19 | Friday |
| 2026 | September 18 | Friday |
