Prisoner of War/Missing in Action Recognition Day

By virtue of the authority vested by the Constitution of Virginia in the Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia, there is hereby officially recognized:

WHEREAS, Congress passed a resolution in 1979 authorizing National Prisoners of War (POW)/ Missing in Action (MIA) Recognition Day to be observed throughout the United States; and,

WHEREAS, since 1986, the third Friday of September has been the national observance day; and,

WHEREAS, a total of 72,404 Americans are still unaccounted for from World War II; 7,555 from the Korean War; 1,584 from the Vietnam War; 126 from the Cold War; 1 from Operation El Dorado Canyon (Libya, 1986); and, 5 from the Gulf War(s); and,

WHEREAS, there are 1,342 Virginians that remain missing or are unaccounted for; and

WHEREAS, the families and friends of unaccounted-for veterans and other Americans still await recovery and identification of their remains or, if determined unrecoverable, certainty regarding their fates; and,

WHEREAS, on this day, the National League of Families’ POW/MIA flag is flown across the country as a symbol of the bravery and sacrifice of those who answered the call to serve in our armed forces; and,

WHEREAS, on this day, we pay tribute to our nation’s prisoners of war and those who are missing in action, and we stand behind our country’s steadfast commitment to account for them; and,

WHEREAS, we remember the incredible sacrifice of prisoners of war and those missing in action to fight for our freedoms and uphold peace and security around the world; and,

WHEREAS, on September 16, 2022, Virginians come together to express gratitude for these individuals who have faithfully served our country;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Glenn Youngkin, do hereby recognize September 16, 2022 as PRISONER OF WAR/MISSING IN ACTION RECOGNITION DAY in our COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA, and I call this observance to the attention of our citizens.

Governor of Virginia

Proclamations