POW/MIA Observances Give VA Employees an Opportunity to "Never Forget"

Currently, more than 83,000 U.S. service members who remain classified as either prisoners of war or missing in action, according to the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA).

The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) also honors those Americans who were prisoners of war and those who served and never returned home. DOD's POW/MIA Accounting Agency continues the search for the missing, fulfilling the nation's promise to leave no service member behind.

Fatima Safi, VA Portland Health Care System’s Post-9/11 M2VA Case Management Program Case Manager and Former Prisoner of War (FPOW) Advocate, said the vast majority of Veterans in the POW/MIA population fought in older wars, such as WWII, Korea, Vietnam and the first Gulf War.

She added that the current generation is not as familiar with the history of previous wars the way others are with recent conflicts, including Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom.

“POW/MIA observances are important because it allows us to express gratitude to those who suffered unimaginable cruelties while under enemy captivity, and to those who made the ultimate sacrifice and could not return to their families,” Safi said. “It’s also an important reminder that the country is committed to doing everything we can to account for those who never returned home.”

Matthew Schobert, VA Portland Health Care’s Chief of Social Work, says he feels an increasing sense of urgency to recognize former Prisoners of War (POWs), as their numbers are rapidly dwindling as they grow old and pass on. He adds that the VA needs to reach out to these Veterans while they are still with us, and can benefit from the services the VA provides.

“Some of these Veterans are connected to VA care, but some are not, and even those that are connected to VA care are not always receiving all of the care and benefits they deserve or need,” Schobert says.

“Remembering and honoring our POWs and MIAs in death is the right and honorable thing to do. Not forgetting them while they live may be the higher calling and is oftentimes the harder thing to do,” he adds.

Safi echoes Schobert’s concern about the dwindling number of Veterans. In 2019, there were approximately 110 POWs in the VA Portland Health Care System. As of 2024, that population has dropped to 34, with only 18 living in or near the Portland area.

“Due to the advanced age of this special population, the number of POW's that we serve decrease every year,” she said. “Many have since passed away or have moved out of state.”

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. servicemembers whose fates were never accounted for during the war. What resulted was 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.

Some claim the silhouette is a profile of Heisley’s son, who contracted hepatitis while training to go to Vietnam. The virus ravaged his body, leaving his features hallow and emaciated. They suggest that while staring at his son’s sunken features, Heisley saw the stark image of American servicemembers held captive under harsh conditions. Using a pencil, he sketched his son’s profile, creating the basis for a symbol that would come to have a powerful impact on the national conscience.

The flag symbolizes support and care for the Soldiers, Airmen, and Sailors who served the United States in the Vietnam War, especially those who endured capture by the enemy. There has not been a verified American POW in Southeast Asia since Pvt. Robert R. Garwood was released in 1973. By the end of the Vietnam War, more than 2,500 servicemembers were listed by the Department of Defense as Prisoner of War (POW) or Missing in Action (MIA).

For Jared Howard, the Director of Willamette National Cemetery, POW/MIA Day symbolizes means hope, remembrance, and a commitment to never forget.

“I have participated in several committal services over the past few years of newly identified Veterans listed in POW or MIA status returning to their families,” Howard said. “It is always emotional, powerful, and a moment for reflection. It is inspirational to see the gratitude these families have for the closure they receive which reinforces the commitment to never forget.”

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.

“The continued search [for POWs/MIAs] matters,” Howard said. “It is a cyclical endeavor that can never end until all our brothers and sisters in arms are accounted for. The continued effort to locate all our POW/MIA servicemen and women makes me proud to be an American and a Veteran.”

The POW/MIA observance Congress enacted in 1990 also extended to flying the official POW/MIA flag during other national observances, including Armed Forces Day, Memorial Day, Flag Day, Independence Day and Veterans Day.

On November 7, 2019, the National POW/MIA Flag Act was signed into law, requiring the POW/MIA flag to be flown on certain federal properties, including all national cemeteries, the WWII Memorial, Korean War Veterans Memorial, Vietnam Veterans Memorial and the U.S. Capitol Building, on all days the U.S. flag is flown. The act also directs Department of Veterans Affairs medical centers, clinics and Veterans Benefits Administration offices to fly the POW/MIA flag. When displayed from a single flagpole, the POW/MIA flag should fly directly below, and be no larger than, the United States flag.

“When we recognize POW/MIA Day, we learn about important historical events and the experiences of the senior Veterans in this special population, many of whom are alive today and continue to receive care from VA facilities. It is humbling and inspiring,” Safi said.

Howard adds that he and his team at Willamette National Cemetery feel a deep honor to play a part in helping Veteran families bring closure to their loved ones’ service and sacrifice.

“As an employee of the National Cemetery Administration, I along with my team are honored to play a role in laying these great Americans to rest, in national shrines, that commemorate their service and sacrifice forever,” he said. “I only hope that one day we can account for everyone. Until that day we never stop and we never forget.”