The third Friday in September is POW/MIA Recognition Day, designated to honor those servicemembers still prisoners of war or missing in action. On Sept. 18, Americans across the country will pause to remember the U.S. servicemembers who never came home, either living or dead.

The day is one of six on which Congress mandates the flying of the POW/MIA flag; the others are Armed Forces Day, Memorial Day, Flag Day, Independence Day and Veterans Day.

The American Legion is committed to achieving a full accounting of all POW/MIAs from all war eras. This means returning living POWs, the repatriation of their remains or finding convincing evidence of why neither is possible. Resolution 288, adopted at the 67th National Convention, calls for designating a POW/MIA Empty Chair at all official Legion meetings as a physical symbol of the thousands of American POW/MIAs still unaccounted for.

The Legion’s commitment to this issue was re-emphasized last month at the National Convention. Resolution 78 states that “The American Legion remains steadfast in our commitment to the goal of achieving the fullest possible accounting for all U.S. military personnel and designated civilian personnel missing and unaccounted for from our nation’s wars.”

WE WILL NEVER GIVE UP.

--
John Hacker
Committee Chairman
American Legion Department of North Carolina
"No Veteran Left Behind"