Gov. Bill Haslam proclaims Sept. 21-27 POW/MIA Recognition Week
Sept. 21-27 has been declared POW/MIA Recognition Week by Gov. Bill Haslam and the Tennessee Department of Veterans Affairs Commissioner Many-Bears Grinder.
The National League of Families' POW/MIA flag was adopted in 1990, when the 101st Congress passed legislation to recognize it. Now, the week beginning the third Friday of September and extending through the following Thursday will be recognized as Tennessee POW/MIA Recognition Week to pay tribute to service members captured by the enemy and missing in action.
“Hearing the stories of former prisoners of war is an unforgettable experience, and offering our recognition as a state is a powerful way to salute their bravery and perseverance,” Grinder said in a prepared statement. “We continue to remember those still missing in action and their families while they wait for closure and answers.”
Since World War II, more than 83,000 Americans—more than 200 of them Tennesseans—have been declared missing or unaccounted for.
Grinder presented Haslam’s POW/MIA Recognition Week proclamation to Tennessee Valley Healthcare System Director Juan Morales during an ex-POW/MIA ceremony Sept. 14.
You can check out the Tennessee Department of Veterans Affairs online or on Facebook.
