September 16 is marked as National POW/MIA Recognition Day. The Department of Defense recognizes those service members who were prisoners of war or never returned home.
The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency's mission is to provide the fullest possible accounting for our missing personnel to their families and the nation. As of September 1, 2022, there are more than 81,500 American service members who are missing. This includes personnel from World War II (WWII), the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Cold War, the Gulf Wars, and other recent conflicts.
