[United States Statutes at Large, Volume 129, 114th Congress, 1st Session]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

 
Proclamation 9324 of September 17, 2015

National POW/MIA Recognition Day, 2015

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

America has long stood tall as a beacon of freedom thanks to the women
and men of our Armed Forces who safeguard our country and our ideals
with courage, honor, and selflessness. While our heroes and their
families continue to give of themselves for us all, we must recognize
the unthinkable pain that remains with the loved ones of those who have
not returned home. Today, we honor them, as a Nation for

[[Page 3432]]

ever indebted. We rededicate ourselves to our ironclad commitment to
never leaving one of our own behind, and we pay tribute to those
patriots known to God and never forgotten.
To further uphold our eternal promise, we established the Defense POW/
MIA Accounting Agency. This Agency will help recover and account for
prisoners of war and those missing in action, work to better anticipate
family needs, and ensure that timely, accurate information is
communicated to loved ones. Bringing home Americans who have been taken
prisoner or who have gone missing is a sacred mission, and my
Administration is increasing our efforts to ensure every service member
knows with absolute certainty that--should they ever find themselves in
that position--ours is a country that will never give up on retrieving
them.
As a grateful Nation, we owe it to all who put on the uniform of the
United States to remain unwavering in our promise to them. With hearts
full of love, families carry on with an unfillable void, and we stand
beside them--one and all--acutely aware of the cost at which our liberty
comes. Today and every day, let us renew our pledge to never stop
working to bring home the ones they love to the land they risked
everything to protect.
On September 18, 2015, the stark black and white banner symbolizing
America's Missing in Action and Prisoners of War will be flown over the
White House; the United States Capitol; the Departments of State,
Defense, and Veterans Affairs; the Selective Service System
Headquarters; the World War II Memorial; the Korean War Veterans
Memorial; the Vietnam Veterans Memorial; United States post offices;
national cemeteries; and other locations across our country. We raise
this flag as a solemn reminder of our obligation to always remember the
sacrifices made to defend our Nation.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of
America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and
the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim September 18, 2015, as
National POW/MIA Recognition Day. I urge all Americans to observe this
day of honor and remembrance with appropriate ceremonies and activities.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this seventeenth day of
September, in the year of our Lord two thousand fifteen, and of the
Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and
fortieth.
BARACK OBAMA