Viet Nam Veterans Memorial Wall,
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Tri-City Park,
Placentia, CA
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"Keeping the Promise", "Fulfill their Trust" and "No one left behind" are some of the many mottoes that refer to efforts to recover those who became missing while serving our nation.
Although the POW-MIA flag (and subsequent emblem), seen at the top of this page, was born from the Vietnam Missing In Action, it has come to represent POW's and MIA's from all wars and military actions involving USA military forces. More than 83,000 Americans are missing from World War II, the Korean War, the Cold War, the Vietnam War and the 1991 Gulf War. Defense Department staff -- both military and civilian -- work as part of personnel recovery and personnel accounting communities. Their single mission and focus are designed with the goal of finding and bringing our missing personnel home. The mission requires expertise in archival research, intelligence collection and analysis, field investigations and recoveries, and scientific analysis.
The goal of USA POW-MIA, in conjunction with and in support of other POW-MIA organizations throughout the United States, is to ensure that our government agencies maintain a dedicated effort in returning all United States POW's and MIA's.
Although the POW-MIA flag (and subsequent emblem), seen at the top of this page, was born from the Vietnam Missing In Action, it has come to represent POW's and MIA's from all wars and military actions involving USA military forces. More than 83,000 Americans are missing from World War II, the Korean War, the Cold War, the Vietnam War and the 1991 Gulf War. Defense Department staff -- both military and civilian -- work as part of personnel recovery and personnel accounting communities. Their single mission and focus are designed with the goal of finding and bringing our missing personnel home. The mission requires expertise in archival research, intelligence collection and analysis, field investigations and recoveries, and scientific analysis.
The goal of USA POW-MIA, in conjunction with and in support of other POW-MIA organizations throughout the United States, is to ensure that our government agencies maintain a dedicated effort in returning all United States POW's and MIA's.
A BRIEF HISTORY OF
OUR POW-MIA FLAG
In 1971, Mrs. Michael Hoff, the wife of a U.S. military officer listed as missing in action during the Vietnam War, developed the idea for a national flag to remind every American of the U.S. service members whose fates were never accounted for during the war. The black and white image of a gaunt silhouette, a strand of barbed wire and an ominous watchtower was designed by Newt Heisley, a former World War II pilot. By the end of the Vietnam War, more than 2,500 service members were listed by the Department of Defense as Prisoner of War (POW) or Missing in Action (MIA). In 1979, as families of the missing pressed for full accountability, Congress and the president proclaimed the first National POW/MIA Recognition Day to acknowledge the families’ concerns and symbolize the steadfast resolve of the American people to never forget the men and women who gave up their freedom protecting ours. Three years later, in 1982, the POW/MIA flag became the only flag other than the Stars and Stripes to fly over the White House in Washington, D.C. On August 10, 1990, Congress passed U.S. Public Law 101-355, designating the POW/MIA flag:
OUR POW-MIA FLAG
In 1971, Mrs. Michael Hoff, the wife of a U.S. military officer listed as missing in action during the Vietnam War, developed the idea for a national flag to remind every American of the U.S. service members whose fates were never accounted for during the war. The black and white image of a gaunt silhouette, a strand of barbed wire and an ominous watchtower was designed by Newt Heisley, a former World War II pilot. By the end of the Vietnam War, more than 2,500 service members were listed by the Department of Defense as Prisoner of War (POW) or Missing in Action (MIA). In 1979, as families of the missing pressed for full accountability, Congress and the president proclaimed the first National POW/MIA Recognition Day to acknowledge the families’ concerns and symbolize the steadfast resolve of the American people to never forget the men and women who gave up their freedom protecting ours. Three years later, in 1982, the POW/MIA flag became the only flag other than the Stars and Stripes to fly over the White House in Washington, D.C. On August 10, 1990, Congress passed U.S. Public Law 101-355, designating the POW/MIA flag:
“The symbol of our Nation’s concern and commitment to resolving as fully as possible the fates of Americans still prisoner, missing and unaccounted for in Southeast Asia.”
Locate, find, return POW, MIA Locate, find, return POWs, MIAs
Locate, find and return POW MIA, POWs and MIAs