Ahead of National POW/MIA Day on Friday, Sept. 16, you can check out some of the most recent MIAs to be identified at the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA). The most recent MIA Vietnam veterans to be accounted for are U.S. Army Pfc. Thomas F. Green and U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Sanford I. Finger. Green was 19 and serving as the door gunner on a CH-47B Chinook helicopter that went down over the South China Sea in bad weather in 1971; Finger was a passenger on the transport. The remains of only four of the 10 soldiers on board were recovered during initial search and rescue operations. #NationalPOWMIARecognitionDay
Author: Jordank
Editorial Coordinator
81K U.S. Service Members Remain MIA
The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency says that more than 81,600 Americans remain missing from WWII, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Cold War, the Gulf Wars and other U.S. conflicts. Of them, 75% are assumed to be located in the Indo-Pacific region, and more than 41,000 are presumed lost at sea. Some 1,584 went MIA from the Vietnam War. Efforts to find and identify MIAs and bring them home are continuous; many Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA) chapters have gotten involved in identifying remains over the years, giving military veterans’ families long-sought closure. Remember them on Sept. 16! #NationalPOWMIARecognitionDay
Making a Major Move More Manageable
About 27 million people changed primary residences last year in the United States, according to Move.org, and one-fifth of those #moves were out-of-state. With the job market still competitive and real estate activity starting to slow, more people will likely be on the move this season.
A move is rarely easy, and supply chain dirsruptions brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic made things more difficult. But you can make a major move more manageable if you make a timeline and spread the work out over a period of days, weeks or months.
If you hire a moving company to transport your #stuff (as 80% of people do) there’s a financial incentive to #packing as little as possible. That’s why the first step in any move is to #declutter and #organize your possessions. “If you don’t love it, need it, [or] use it regularly, or if it’s broken, get rid of it!” says Living Well Spending Less. “There’s nothing worse than unpacking boxes of stuff later on only to realize you don’t really need any of it.”
Edit your stuff well ahead of time to give yourself time to sell some of it, or #purge as you #pack. Either way, you’ll have less to transport and integrate into your new home when the move is complete. Assuming you find lightly used items things that you won’t need in the new home, contact ClothingDonations.org to schedule a free, contactless #donation #pickup — or schedule multiple #pickups during your pre-move #packing period and another in your new location.
Moving long-distance is particularly challenging. While couple of friends with a UHaul may be able to handle small moves, that may not be sufficient for families with houses full of stuff. Architectural Digest offers a guide to the moving companies adept at facilitating relocation across the country or another part of the world.
Near or far, a major move is a great opportunity to reinvent your lifestyle and revisit the things you truly value, use and need. It may not be easy, simple or cheap, but you can start fresh in a new place — without the #clutter that weighed you down in the last one. #MovingTips
Use Labor Day Weekend to Organize
Bittersweet as it may be, #summer is drawing to a close. While The Organizing Blog encourages you to do little that qualifies as “work” on Labor Day weekend, one thing that can enhance your overall mood and prepare you for #fall is #decluttering. Start #organizing and putting away those summer supplies, says Simplify Experts, tossing anything that’s too worn to justify keeping for another year. That includes grilling tools, camping supplies, pool toys, gardening equipment and even old bottles of sunblock. If there’s anything that you didn’t use but might still be of use to someone else, you can donate it to ClothingDonations.org. #LaborDay
Dedicate Labor Day to Relaxation
If you want to take it easy on Labor Day, don’t go out of your way to do anything even remotely related to work. Take a leisurely bike ride or go for a swim, do a little #thrift-store shopping, and stop by a local bar/grill or order in instead of cooking dinner, says Country Living. Read a book or watch a movie, meditate, let the kids play in the sprinkler or set up a lawn chair at the nearest parade, but don’t do any household #chores or hard labor unless that’s something you find relaxing. Whatever you choose, make sure that a day of rest is your primary goal; you’ve worked hard all year and you can afford to give yourself a break. #LaborDay