Today, Americans across the country are pausing to remember the service members who became prisoners of war and those who remain missing in action.
National POW/MIA Recognition Day is observed each year on the third Friday of September. The day was established in 1979 by President Jimmy Carter to honor former prisoners of war and remember the Americans who have not returned home.
The day also serves as a reminder to the families who have spent years, and in many cases generations, waiting for answers about their loved ones.
The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency continues its work to locate, identify and return missing American service members to their families. The agency says nearly 81,000 Americans remain unaccounted for from past conflicts, including World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War and the Cold War.
The 2026 National POW/MIA Recognition Day poster features the POW/MIA flag placed over a Gold Star, representing the families who continue to carry the memory and legacy of their missing loved ones. The design also incorporates the Warrior Ethos and the commitment to continue the mission of accounting for those who are still missing.
For many families, the words “You Are Not Forgotten” are more than a message. They represent a promise that the search continues and that the service and sacrifice of their loved ones will not be forgotten.
Today, take a moment to remember the men and women who served, those who were held captive, those who never returned home and the families who continue to wait for answers.
Source: Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency
Image: 2026 National POW/MIA Recognition Day poster, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency.
