WASHINGTON – On National POW/MIA Recognition Day, the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) emphasizes the gravity of honoring and remembering the more than 140,000 former American prisoners of war and the more than 81,500 service members who remain missing and unaccounted for.
It is the duty of every American to remember the men and women whose sacrifice helped pave the way to freedom and protection of the American way of life. Patriots who put others before self is the story of America … an America that rose to greatness on the shoulders of ordinary citizens who refused to shirk the responsibility of citizenship … who paid the highest price to preserve peace and freedom for others.
As our nation pauses to remember their service and sacrifice, we must also remember the families who continue to grieve.
The cost of war extends far beyond the last shots being fired, and for MIA families, the passage of time does not heal their wounds. For them, the days become weeks, the weeks become months, then years, and sadly, for many, decades. These families still hold out hope that one day they will receive the call that their loved one has been found. We owe them our support and vigilance until that day comes.
On Sept. 20, and every day, the VFW solemnly pledges to never forget the service and sacrifice of America’s POWs and MIAs.