[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 143 (Wednesday, September 6, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Page S4225]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    NATIONAL POW/MIA RECOGNITION DAY

  Mr. CRAPO. Mr. President, in honor of America's prisoners of war, 
POWs, and missing in action, MIA, I join in acknowledging National POW/
MIA Recognition Day this September 15, 2023.
  Each year before POW/MIA Recognition Day, the Defense POW/MIA 
Accounting Agency, DPAA, the Agency primarily responsible for 
recovering America's servicemembers, creates a poster commemorating the 
lives of U.S. servicemembers still unaccounted for from past conflicts. 
This year's poster features the words: ``Though not here, their 
sacrifice is not forgotten.''
  The sacrifice of America's unaccounted-for servicemembers is not 
forgotten thanks in large part to the POW/MIA families and veterans who 
have remained committed to keeping the pursuit of facts at the 
forefront of our national conscience. The sacrifice is not forgotten 
due to the hard work of those who work for and assist the DPAA and 
related efforts to get needed answers and bring all American 
servicemembers home. And the sacrifice is not forgotten due to the 
commitment of the members of the POW*MIA Awareness Rally Corp. of 
Pocatello, ID, and others across our country who keep a spotlight on 
the need to keep pressing forward until every American servicemember is 
brought home.
  As I thank all involved in this effort, I urge the enactment of the 
Bring Our Heroes Home Act, which I joined Senator Jeanne Shaheen, in 
re-introducing this Congress, to help eliminate obstacles preventing 
families and caseworkers from accessing the records needed for 
recovering America's POWs and MIA. America's heroes and their families 
deserve this reduction in bureaucratic redtape as we make a strong 
effort to identify and recover those who have not yet made it back 
home.
  On National POW/MIA Day, we honor those Americans who have thankfully 
returned home, the families and loved ones who stood by awaiting their 
return, and we remain committed to finding answers for the families who 
continue to await the return of their missing and unaccounted-for loved 
ones. Thank you to America's servicemembers, veterans and their 
families for their extraordinary commitment to our country and to all 
those who work to ensure their return home.

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