The Defense Department remembers and honors those Americans who were prisoners of war and those who served and never returned home. DOD's POW/MIA Accounting Agency continues the search for the missing, fulfilling the nation's promise to leave no service member behind.
Over 500,000 Americans serving our country in the armed forces have been captured and held as Prisoners of War (POWs) since the American Revolutionary War. Over 80,000 American military service personnel are missing from previous conflicts, with the remains of 38,000 of them being estimated to be recoverable by the Department of Defense.
Established by Act of Congress in 1998, this day honors all those who were POWs and those still missing in action (MIA). Though most often associated with veterans of the Vietnam War, the day honors those who fought in any of the US military wars and conflicts that fall into either or both the prisoners of war and/or missing in action groups. This is one of six official days where the POW/MIA flag is flown on US government property.
This observance is the third Friday in September each year. Though not a flag holiday federally, several states, including my home state of South Carolina, observe it as a half-staff day honoring the men and women who were/are POW/MIA. The POW/MIA flag should not be larger than the US flag, flown immediately below it (in order of precedence), or adjacent and below it.
