MIA Recognition Day

MIA Recognition Day History

National POW/MIA Recognition Day is dedicated to commemorating the sacrifices and resilience of prisoners of war (POWs) and those who are missing in action (MIA). This important observance is both a recognition of their service and a promise that the nation will do everything within its power to account for soldiers who have yet to return home.

The day was instituted by an Act of Congress in 1998. The observance had existed unofficially for many years prior, with the Vietnam War being a notable catalyst that amplified awareness. It is a day rooted in remembrance, steadfast determination, and unyielding commitment to those who wore the nation's uniform and didn't make it back. Today, it serves as a potent reminder for many families, citizens, and veterans that the price of freedom is unending vigilance and unyielding loyalty to those who risk and sacrifice their lives for the nation's safety and freedom.

National POW/MIA Recognition Day is punctuated by ceremonies and observances across the country, involving various communities, military installations, and high-level officials. It underscores the ongoing efforts to account for the missing, demonstrating that the nation's commitment to its servicemembers is unwavering. National POW/MIA Recognition Day is held annually on the third Friday of September.

MIA Recognition Day facts

• The first recognized Missing In Action soldier from the Vietnam War was Air Force Colonel Peter J. Stewart, whose aircraft was shot down over North Vietnam in 1966.
• According to the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, more than 82,000 Americans remain missing from WWII, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Cold War, the Gulf Wars, and other conflicts. Of these, some 75% of the losses are located in the Indo-Pacific, and over 41,000 of the missing are presumed lost at sea.
• World War II pilot Newt Heisley designed the now-famous flag, which was made in black and white to represent the sorrow, anxiety and hope symbolized by the image of the gaunt man featured on it.
• In 1990, the National POW/MIA Recognition Day became a federal/public law, which requires the president to issue a proclamation each year.
• The POW/MIA flag features a black background, a white silhouette of a man's head representing the profiles of a prisoner of war with a guard tower and barbed wire in front, and below it, the words "POW MIA" in white.

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