National POW/MIA Recognition Day 2020

[BobRegnar]

Today, the third Friday in September, is the day set aside to honor the service and sacrifice of those who were held captive and those still missing and unaccounted-for from our nation's wars.

Currently 1,586 Americans are listed by DoD as missing and unaccounted-for from the Vietnam War.

As well as:

72,579 from WWII
7,578 from the Korean War
126 from the Cold War
5 from the Gulf Wars
1 from Other Recent Conflicts

You Are Not Forgotten

 

[SJGUSMC21]

Indeed they are NOT forgotten. I am blown away by the number from WWII.

If you have ever been to the WWII memorial in DC, it will warm your heart and you soul.

 

[BobRegnar]

Indeed they are NOT forgotten. I am blown away by the number from WWII.

The effort to account for MIA's following WWII wasn't as comprehensive as it is now and the missing were all over the world and many more lost at sea. Some degree of cooperation from the country's government is needed, too. Somewhere around 7,000 were accounted for after the war by the graves registration service and more are recovered and identified yearly.

 

[JNDATHP]

If you have ever been to the WWII memorial in DC, it will warm your heart and you soul.

We visited a few years ago and the memorial entitled the “Great War” was particularly moving because, obviously, no one at the time of WW1 knew there would be a WW2.

 

[BobRegnar]

Most disturbing to me are the unaccounted-for who were last known alive and in enemy hands. Which means their fate is known and probably recorded but hasn't been disclosed to us. There are almost 200 in that category included in the number of missing from Vietnam.

The case of Pete Bott is one of these. A case I have followed since it happened. His sister recently passed at age 85 and has spent most of her life hoping for his return.

for your interest:

MSG Russell Peter Bott, Worcester, MA on www.VirtualWall.org The Virtual Wall® Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall