Ashley Hunter
Greene Publishing, Inc.
While you may not have them off from work or printed on your refrigerator calendar, hundreds of national holidays exist; several take place each day! Many of these holidays were created in jest, and others honor lesser known historical figures and public servants. Whether World UFO Day (July 2), Middle Children's Day (August 12) or National Cream Filled Donut Day (September 14), you can find a unique way to celebrate each day.
The third Friday in September is dedicated to remembering the men and women who served the United States during wartime periods and never returned home due to being missing in action (MIA) or becoming a Prisoner of War (POW).
The term 'Missing In Action' is a casualty classification that is assigned to combatants, military chaplains, combat medics and prisoners of war who were reported missing during wartime or a ceasefire. They may have been killed, wounded, become prisoners of war or deserted their post.
The phenomenon of MIA’s became notable during the first World War, when the mechanized nature of modern warfare could result in a single battle causing a large death count and even larger numbers of unfound remains, resulting in MIA soldiers. Even in the 21st century, it is not uncommon to uncover the remains of missing combatants on the former battlefields of the Western Front.
According to the Defense Prisoner of War/Missing Accounting Office, there are still more than 73,000 U.S. Servicemen from World War II that are still unaccounted for.
Currently, it is estimated that there are still 7,805 to 7,801 unaccounted U.S. personnel resulting from the Korean War of 1950 through 1953.
According to the Defense Prisoner of War/Missing Personnel Office, as of August of this year, 1,618 U.S. military and civilian personnel are still unaccounted for from the Vietnam war of 1955 through 1975.
None of this includes MIA’s and POW's from the Gulf War, the Iran-Iraq Wars, the Cold War, or the global war on terrorism.
Military animals can also be official declared as being Missing in Action.
In 1989, to honor the men and women who never returned home, a presidential proclamation was issued that set aside the third Friday in September to be used to remember the individuals in the Armed Forces who remain missing. It was hoped that the day would remind the people of the United States of the unending efforts to bring home the country's patriots, as well as to continue to care for the military families that still await word of their loved ones.
The U.S. Pentagon holds an annual ceremony that features members of each military service branch for National POW/MIA Recognition Day. This year, the ceremony will take place on Friday, Sept. 16.
The observance of National POW/MIA Day is one of six days throughout the year that Congress has mandated the flying of the National League of Families' POW/MIA flag. The others are Armed Forces Day, Memorial Day, Flag Day, Independence Day and Veterans Day.
The POW/MIA Flag will be flown over the U.S. Capitol, the White House, the Korean and Vietnam Veterans Memorials, the offices of the secretaries of State, Defense and Veterans Affairs, of the Selective Service System, and on the grounds or in the lobbies of every major military installation, every post office and all VA Medical Centers and national cemeteries.