HONOLULU –
The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency hosted a National POW/MIA Recognition Day ceremony at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu, Sept. 19, 2025.
Established in 1979 by presidential proclamation signed by President Jimmy Carter, the day honors former prisoners of war and those missing in action from past and current conflicts, with the third Friday of September designated for the annual observance.
Its creation stemmed from the determined efforts of families wanting accountability and remembrance for their missing loved ones.
Fern Sumpter Winbush, DPAA principal deputy director, delivered the opening remarks, reflecting on the solemnity of the day and how it remains deeply intertwined with the agency’s mission.
“As we gather today, let us remember that our mission upholds a sacred promise,” Winbush said. “That no matter how many years go by, we will never quit, regardless of the challenges. We will continue to honor the fallen and offer hope to the families who are depending on us.”
The ceremony began with the playing of the U.S. National Anthem, the Hawaii State Anthem, and the posting of colors by members of each military branch.
Hawaii Governor Josh Green, who was part of the official party, read the official State of Hawaii POW/MIA Recognition Day Proclamation, which honored those who were prisoners of war and those who remain missing in action and reaffirmed the state’s commitment to remembering those who never returned.
The keynote speaker was Natalie Anderson Rauch, gold star family member and daughter of U.S. Air Force Col. Warren Anderson.
On April 26, 1966, an RF-4C Phantom II aircraft carrying Anderson and another crew member departed on a photographic reconnaissance mission over North Vietnam. As expected, radar contact with the Phantom was lost as it approached its target, but contact was never reestablished and the aircraft failed to return. Despite search efforts, no trace of the Phantom or its crew was ever found.
Anderson, a Michigan native and member of the 16th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, served as the aircraft commander. He and his copilot were lost with the aircraft, and his remains have never been recovered. Following the incident, the U.S. Air Force posthumously promoted him from captain to colonel.
Today, Anderson is remembered at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, where his name is inscribed on the Courts of the Missing, and on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall in Washington, D.C., a lasting tribute to his sacrifice alongside his fellow service members.
Rauch was about 8 years old when her father deployed to Vietnam. She recalls him as a funny man who loved to make people laugh and was always the life of the party. Speaking of his legacy, Rauch emphasized that the work of the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency is not only about recovery, but also about keeping faith with families like hers and honoring the sacrifices of service members like her father who served.
“You might see a little grey hair up here, but inside I’m still just that 8-year-old little girl waiting for her dad to come home,” said Rauch.
During the program, U.S. Air Force Capt. Jacob Magana, Indo-Pacific Directorate and DPAA Officer of the Year, rang America’s Freedom Bell, a bell forged with metal from the 9/11 Twin Towers, bearing the emblems of all U.S. Armed Forces, the inscription “Honoring Our Armed Forces Past, Present and Future,” and 50 stars symbolizing the nation. The bell was tolled once for POWs, once for each military service branch, and once for civilians.
The ceremony also included the reading of 204 names of U.S. personnel accounted for since the previous year’s National POW/MIA Recognition Day, honoring their memory and reaffirming the agency’s commitment to bringing America’s heroes home. Following the reading, representatives from military organizations and veterans service groups laid wreaths and rendered salutes, paying tribute to the courage and sacrifice of prisoners of war and those still missing.
The ceremony concluded with a rifle salute, the playing of taps, and the retiring of the colors, solemn traditions that emphasized both honor and remembrance.
Earlier in the day the Pentagon also hosted a POW/MIA Recognition Day ceremony hosted by Pete Hegseth, Secretary of War, and Kelly McKeague, DPAA director.
“Using painstaking historical research; exhaustive, on-the-ground excavations; and the most advanced, forensic science techniques; the DPAA is steadfast in its accounting for missing Americans, no matter how far away,” said Hegseth.
National POW/MIA Recognition Day serves as a powerful reminder of the nation’s commitment to those who gave everything and to the families who still wait for answers. Through ceremonies such as this, and through the ongoing mission of DPAA, the United States reaffirms its pledge to never forget those who have not yet returned and to honor their legacy for generations to come.