[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 50 (Wednesday, March 17, 2021)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E265]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         HONORING OUR PRISONER OF WAR/MISSING IN ACTION HEROES

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                       HON. JANICE D. SCHAKOWSKY

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, March 17, 2021

  Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 
sacrifices made by American men and women in uniform today and 
throughout our nation's history. We should each take a moment to 
recognize the enormous loss of Americans who leave their homes and 
families to serve their nation, and whose fates are unknown--some 
captured and listed as prisoners of war, while many others are listed 
as missing in action. Their families endure tremendous grief and pain, 
knowing that their loved one's story may never be revealed and that 
they may never be laid to rest.
  Current estimates of American servicemembers who are unaccounted for 
number over 80,000. The vast majority of these are from conflicts 
decades ago, and answers continue to elude us. We must continue our 
efforts to make sure that all American servicemembers listed as POW or 
MIA are returned and that we continue to remember and venerate those 
who gave the ultimate sacrifice in war.
  I want to commend the efforts of Gene Spanos, a constituent of the 
9th Congressional District, who has spent a great deal of time and 
energy contributing to these efforts. His ongoing missions include, but 
are not limited to, pushing for recognition of American POWs who died 
in captivity during the Korean War, advocating for greater United 
Nations support of POW-MIA recognition efforts, ensuring that potential 
MIA servicemember gravesites are included in the Master Excavation 
listings country by country. The efforts of Mr. Spanos and so many 
dedicated individuals around the country are ensuring that we continue 
to move forward on this critical issue. Madam Speaker, I commend the 
work of my constituent Gene Spanos and his counterparts who are 
dedicating their time and passion to these efforts.

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