Washington D.C. –
During a ceremony at the Pentagon, the 2023 POW/MIA Recognition Day poster was unveiled by distinguished guests such as Honorable Christine Wormuth, United States Secretary of the Army, Mr. Kelly McKeague, Director of the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, and Retired Air Force Col. Michael Brazelton, a former prisoner of war.
Each year before POW/MIA Recognition Day, the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA), creates a poster commemorating the lives of United States service members still unaccounted for from past conflicts.
The poster features the words “Though not here, their sacrifice is not forgotten” and the Recognition Day will be September 15 this year.
“We know how much this matters because every month, there are families who do receive the news they have often been waiting decades to hear – that their loved one has finally been accounted for.” said Wormuth.
One of the families in attendance this year was the family of retired Col. Michael Brazelton, who survived more than six years as a prisoner of war in North Vietnam. Brazelton continues to support DPAA’s mission to bring home the Nation’s unaccounted for and serves as a reminder of the sacrifices that the Nation’s prisoners of war and missing in action have made.
“It’s good to be home and it’s still good to be home,” said Brazelton.
Today, approximately 82,000 are still unaccounted for from conflicts dating as far back as World War II. DPAA remains committed to providing the fullest possible accounting for our missing personnel to their families and the nation.
“To all of the veterans and family group representatives, thank you once again for the depth of your commitment to this cause, and for always standing with the men and women who so bravely serve our country,” said Wormuth.
To order a DPAA poster, visit DPAA Posters (crmforce.mil)