To observe National POW/MIA Recognition Day, attend a local memorial event, visit the grave of a veteran or spend some personal time with a former POW or veteran. Veterans appreciate the recognition; visit the local veterans home or hospital to spread good cheer or contribute to veterans. ClothingDonations.org makes it easy to #donate to #veterans causes — simply contact it to arrange a #free #donation #pickup of used #clothing and #household goods. We’ll resell that lightly used, unwanted stuff and give the money to a range of programs that help veterans of every U.S. conflict. #POW/MIA
Tag: POW/MIA
The Search for MIA Service Members Continues
Since 1973, the remains of more than 1,000 Americans killed during the Vietnam War have been identified and returned to their families for burial with full military honors, according to the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA). Some 1,578 Americans still remain unaccounted-for, including hundreds that may be non-recoverable — deceased without recoverable remains. However, DPAA continues to work with the governments of Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia to investigate leads and locate MIAs, successfully identifying five Vietnam-era service members since National POW/MIA Recognition Day last year. #POW/MIA
VVA’s National POW/MIA Recognition Day Proclamation
The Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA) issued a proclamation on National POW/MIA Recognition Day 2022, promising to “continue the righteous work of bringing home our heroes who remain unaccounted for. On National POW/MIA Recognition Day, we pledge to seek out answers for the families of service members still missing in action [and] commit to doing all in our power to identify and recover America’s missing sons and daughters. And we pay tribute to former prisoners of war — individuals who exhibited remarkable courage, love of country, and devotion to duty to protect our Nation’s safety and freedoms.” #POW/MIA
Observing National POW/MIA Recognition Day
National POW/MIA Recognition Day is held on the third Friday of September to recognize former prisoners of war and those still missing and unaccounted for from all U.S. conflicts. Ceremonies are held throughout the country and around the world on military installations, ships at sea and other locations. The POW Committee of Michigan, for example, will hold a ceremony at Oakland Hills Memorial Gardens on Sept. 15 featuring a keynote speech from American Legion post commander Capt. Dennis L. Hopkins, followed by a Plaques of Honor recognition. Google “POW/MIA Recognition Day events near me” to attend a recognition your area. #POW/MIA
Coming Together to Support Veterans
On Aug. 8, hundreds of officials and members of the Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA) will convene in Orlando, Fla., for the 2023 VVA Annual Convention. At first glance, the five-day show looks like any national conference. The difference? It’s entirely staged by — and dedicated to — veterans.
Homer Hickam, the best-selling author of the memoir Rocket Boys (the source material for the movie October Sky) will keynote the show. Hickam received the VVA Excellence in the Arts Award in 2011 and will sign copies of his latest book, Don’t Blow Yourself Up!, a memoir of his tour of duty in Vietnam.
VVA will also honor several individuals for their commitment to the nation’s veterans. Harvey Pratt, creator of the Warrior’s Circle of Honor at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C., will receive the Excellence in Arts Award.
Jan Scruggs, founder of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund and chief promoter of the Vietnam Memorial, will receive VVA’s Lifetime Achievement Award. And Laurel Lea Schaefer-Bozoukoff — Miss America 1972 and a cast member of the primetime soap Falcon Crest — will receive the VVA President’s Award for Supporting the Troops in Vietnam for her USO tour and enduring support.
The convention isn’t just speeches, awards and celebrations, though. This is where VVA plans the next steps to #help #veterans of every U.S. conflict. Dedicated committees will discuss proposed resolutions on a laundry list of veterans issues, including Agent Orange, POW/MIAs, PTSD and substance abuse, veterans benefits, health care, homelessness and more.
Committees will meet to discuss the special concerns of women, minority and incarcerated veterans. And the conference will feature a Veterans Mall, where dozens of vendors supporting veterans in living their lives to the fullest will show off their products and services.
As we prepare for the annual event, VVA would like to thank the readers of The Organizing Blog. Your generous #donations to ClothingDonations.org help fund local, regional and national programming for veterans of every era, and we couldn’t host a conference without them.
VVA hopes that you will continue to support our organization in making good on its promise: “Never again will one generation of veterans abandon another.”