The day for those never forgotten

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman William A. O'Brien
  • 39th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
INCIRLIK AIR BASE, Turkey --  Many service members deploy and return with war as a mere memory; but for some, the battle never ends. For those captured or missing, a fight for survival commences with an uncertain fate.

Service members captured or separated from their units are known as prisoners of war or missing in action. To honor them for the sacrifices made for their country, National POW/MIA Day is held annually.

Since its inception in the 1970s, National POW/MIA Day stands as a day for Americans to pay tribute to former prisoners of war and those missing in action and the families left behind. From the inaugural POW/MIA Day until 1986, the event has been held in July and April it is currently held the third Friday of September each year. This year's observance is Sept. 16.

In addition to being annually honored, the Department of Defense works to locate every service member missing while serving in wartime operations. According to the Defense Prisoner of War/ Missing Personnel Office, more than 83,000 Americans remain missing from World War II, the Korean War, the Cold War, the Vietnam War and the 1991 Gulf War.

Since May 2011, the remains of eight service members listed as missing in action have been identified. Some of these service members have been missing since the 1950s. Though fewer service members have been listed in POW/MIA status in recent years, two U.S. service members from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan remain missing or captured.

To commemorate the occasion, observances will be held across America to pay tribute to the service members who face the tribulations of being a prisoner of war or missing in action.

Typically during military ceremonies and in some Air Force dining facilities, a small table for one is set and left empty to symbolize those who haven't returned.

For the families of those still listed as missing, wars which may have ended years ago still leave them with questions as they try to learn of what happened to their loved ones.

Take a moment of your time Sept. 16 to remember the service members who have yet to return home.