On the recordSeptember 17, 2020
Today I rise to recognize tomorrow, September 18, as National POW/MIA Recognition Day. This important day of respect, reflection, and recognition was established through a 1979 proclamation by President Jimmy Carter. To date, more than 83,000 Americans are still missing from World War II, the Korean war, the Vietnam war, and more. The brave Americans who rose to the occasion to protect and defend our country are the bravest among us. Many return home. Far too many do not. We owe it to those individuals and to the families of those individuals to continue the search. The pain that these families endure due to uncertainty is unfathomable. To ensure that these men and women are never forgotten, a flag, that I am sure all of us recognize, was designed in consultation with Evelyn Grubb, wife of an Air Force POW, and Mary Helen Hoff, wife of a Navy man deemed missing in action. Today, that flag is displayed in the U.S. Capitol rotunda, serving as a reminder that we must continue our work on behalf of military families and continue the search for our POW/MIA servicemembers. ____________________
