Expressing the sense of the Senate that the third Friday of September should be recognized as “National POW/MIA Recognition Day”.

Expressing the sense of the Senate that the third Friday of September should be recognized as “National POW/MIA Recognition Day”.

Whereas the term “POW/MIA” refers to prisoners of war and missing-in-action military personnel who either are or were held unwillingly by the enemy or whose whereabouts during and after wartime and cease-fire remain unknown;

Whereas, according to the Department of Defense, over 80,000 United States servicemembers are missing in action, about 41,000 are presumed lost at sea, and approximately 38,000 are recoverable;

Whereas unaccounted for personnel include Department of Defense personnel, both military and civilian, civilian contractors of other Federal departments and agencies, employees of humanitarian agencies accredited to the Armed Forces, members of civilian organizations credited with active military service by the Secretary of Defense, and citizens of the United States and other persons as directed by the Secretary of Defense;

Whereas the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, an agency within the Department of Defense, reports the numbers for POW/MIA servicemembers based on conflict to be—

(1) 73,687 from World War II;

(2) 8,157 from the Korean War;

(3) 2,633 from the Vietnam War;

(4) 128 from the Cold War; and

(5) 6 from armed conflicts since 1991;

Whereas, since the early 1970s when United States POW/MIA recovery efforts began, the number of recovered persons based on conflict have been—

(1) 1,904 from World War II, with 71,783 still unaccounted for;

(2) 777 from the Korean War, with 7,380 still unaccounted for;

(3) 1,067 from the Vietnam War, with 1,566 still unaccounted for;

(4) 2 from the Cold War, with 126 still unaccounted for; and

(5) 0 from the Gulf wars and Libya, with 6 still unaccounted for;

Whereas roughly 75 percent of POW/MIA are in the Asia-Pacific region;

Whereas, by State, the 5 States with the highest number of unaccounted POW/MIA are—

(1) New York (6,354);

(2) California (6,306);

(3) Pennsylvania (5,343);

(4) Illinois (4,115); and

(5) Texas (4,085);

Whereas, by State, the 5 States with the highest number of recovered POW/MIA are—

(1) California (383);

(2) New York (240);

(3) Texas (235);

(4) Ohio (202); and

(5) Pennsylvania (198);

Whereas, in 1972, the POW/MIA flag was adopted;

Whereas, in 1982, the POW/MIA flag became the first flag to fly over the White House other than the United States flag; and

Whereas the National POW/MIA Flag Act (Public Law 116–67; 36 U.S.C. 101 note), enacted in 2019, requires the POW/MIA flag to be flown on Federal properties when the United States flag is being flown: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the Senate—

(1) acknowledges that the Federal Government has the moral obligation to fully account for United States POW/MIA and to mitigate the number of POW/MIA in future conflicts;

(2) expresses sincere gratitude to the POW/MIA of every conflict who selflessly, bravely, and boldly fought for the freedoms Americans have today at the cost of their own lives;

(3) expresses support for the designation of “National POW/MIA Recognition Day”; and

(4) encourages all Americans to properly honor the service and sacrifice of all POW/MIA on such day by—

(A) participating in POW/MIA commemorative celebrations in local communities;

(B) appropriately displaying the POW/MIA flag; and

(C) performing acts of good will, compassion, and service for the family members of POW/MIA.