National POW/MIA Recognition Day

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In the United States, National POW/MIA Recognition Day is observed on the third Friday in September. It honors those who were prisoners of war (POW) and those who are still missing in action (MIA). It is associated with those who were POW’s during the Vietnam War.

National POW/MIA Day may be on Friday, but many Americans are accustomed to seeing the now-familiar flag of their cause, the silhouette and white letters on a black background flying outside post offices, military properties, hospitals and government buildings all year round.

In 1982, it became the only flag other than the American flag to fly over the White House. In 1990, Congress recognized the flag as a symbol of our Nation’s concern and commitment to resolving as fully as possible the fates of Americans still prisoner, missing and unaccountable for in Southeast Asia. The 1998 Defense Authorization Act mandated that federal buildings fly the flag on Armed Forces Day, Memorial Day, Flag Day, Independence Day, National POW/MIA Recognition Day and Veterans Day.