A Pentagon ceremony for National POW/MIA Recognition Day will be held on Friday, Sept.19, 2008. This ceremony will feature troops from each of the military services. The president will issue a proclamation commemorating the observances and reminding the nation of those Americans who have sacrificed so much for their country. Observances of National POW/MIA Recognition Day are held across the country on military installations, ships at sea, state capitols, schools and veterans' facilities. This observance is one of six days throughout the year that Congress has mandated the flying of the National League of Families' POW/MIA flag. The others are Armed Forces Day, Memorial Day, Flag Day, Independence Day and Veterans Day. The flag is to be flown at major military installations, national cemeteries, all post offices, VA medical facilities, the World War II Memorial, Korean War Veterans Memorial, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, the official offices of the secretaries of state, defense and veterans affairs, the director of the selective service system and the White House. http://www.dtic.mil/dpmo/images/lowres_POW-MIA_2008.pdf
The subject of POWs and MIA seems to be something the Americans take much more seriously than here, which is a pity. I can understand that the issue is closer to home because of the Vietnam War but considering the privations suffered by British and Commonwealth personnel as POWs of the Japanese, and to a lesser extent, the Germans, a formally recognisable day would be great.
