National POW/MIA Recognition Day, 2026

The glorious liberty that makes America the envy of the world has been secured and sustained by brave and selfless patriots from every war and conflict since the founding of our Republic. On National POW/MIA Recognition Day, we pause to pay everlasting tribute to the defenders of freedom who were imprisoned on foreign soil and endured brutal treatment and unimaginable horrors while held in captivity and the approximately 80,000 souls still missing in action.

Today and every day, the POW/MIA flag is proudly displayed above the White House and alongside the Stars and Stripes at designated Federal office buildings nationwide. The distinctive black and white banner bearing the words “You Are Not Forgotten” stands as a righteous covenant that our Government will never abandon those who took an oath to defend the Constitution and as a visible reminder that this sacred mission is not complete until all our service members are repatriated.

The relentless efforts of the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) to achieve the fullest possible accounting of all missing warriors are critical to families searching for answers, and they teach future generations the gravity of what was given and lost on their behalf and our moral obligation to never leave an American behind. Last month, DPAA reached a significant milestone with its 800th identification of remains from the Korean War. Every final homecoming brings an end to the agonizing, decades-long vigil of uncertainty for the bereaved family and the opportunity for a grateful Nation to bestow burial honors worthy of the sacrifice made for freedom's cause.

The name, story, and fate of each POW/MIA are integral to America's legacy of valor, and my Administration will spare no effort or resource to fulfill our promise to those who answered the call to serve and paid an extraordinary price on battlefields and in captivity around the world.

On this solemn day of remembrance, the First Lady joins me in recognizing the uncommon resilience, faith, and resolve of the men and women of our Armed Forces who were taken prisoner; those who remain missing; and the loved ones who wait and pray for their fallen hero to come home. America is forever indebted for these incalculable sacrifices, and until the last name is accounted for, we will never forget.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim September 18, 2026, as National POW/MIA Recognition Day.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this sixteenth day of September, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-six, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and fifty-first.