A PROCLAMATION
[ANNOTATED]
September 19, 2025
BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
From the battlefields of the Revolutionary War to the trenches of World War II to the sprawling jungles of Vietnam, thousands of our patriotic service members have been horrifically captured by the enemy and forced to endure excruciating torture, agony, and distress in the service of our Nation. On this National Prisoner of War/Missing in Action (POW/MIA) Recognition Day, we remember our valiant American Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, Airmen, and Coast Guardsmen who were captured while fighting on foreign soil and our missing in action who have not yet returned home. We honor their courage, we salute their patriotism, and we vow full accountability for the more than 80,000 heroes still missing from the wars and conflicts of the past. [Aside from the atrocious grammar and writing unfit for a White House statement, the facts are incorrect. Not all American POW/MIAs were captured or killed on foreign soil. There were POW/MIAs in the Revolutionary War (note the contradiction in the first sentence), the War of 1812, and the Civil War to name a few. During WWII, Americans were made POWs in American territories such as Wake Island, Guam, and Attu as well as captured on American merchant vessels. Not all military POWs were members of the military. During WWII in the Pacific, for example, the civilian contractors on Wake Island were eventually given veterans status, although none were formally enlisted members of the U.S. Armed Services. Some historians believe that more American Revolutionary War soldiers died as POWs of the British than in battle.]
Every American POW has answered the call of duty to fight not only for our country, but for the futures of our families, fellow soldiers, and our beloved Nation. Imprisoned by enemy forces, American POWs endured years of deprivation, brutality, and anguish, sustained only by uncommon resilience and grit. Their families lived in their own prison of fear and perpetual heartache, hoping and praying for a safe return. For the loved ones of the missing, the unfathomable grief endures.
During my first Administration, I signed the National POW/MIA Flag Act directing the POW/MIA flag to be [visibly] flown with the American flag [on prominent federal buildings]. The black and white banner represents the noble sacrifices made in defense of our freedom and serves as an enduring and powerful symbol of our unwavering commitment to leaving no one behind. [Inexplicably, eight months after President Trump signed S. 693, the “National POW/MIA Flag Act, in November 2019 he had the POW/MIA flag removed from atop the White House. It had flown there under the American flag since 1998, the Clinton Administration. The POW/MIA flag was illegally missing until President Joe Biden returned it atop the White House on April 9, 2021, the anniversary of the fall of the Bataan Penisular in the Philippines and the beginning of the infamous Bataan Death March. It remains there as of April 2026.]
As Commander in Chief, I remain committed to pursuing full accountability for those captured and missing in action. During my first term, I secured the repatriation of remains from North Korea, believed to be at least 250 individuals who paid the ultimate sacrifice during the Korean War. In March of this year, our Nation identified the 100th service member from the remains — ending decades of uncertainty for the families of the fallen. This sacred mission will continue until every American is returned home. [North Korea returned 55 cases of possible remains in the summer of 2018. None hve been returned since. The North Koreans suspended the program in March 2019. Of the 250 possible people among the 501 bones returned, a number are South Korean. The identification process is ongoing.]
Today, the First Lady joins me in honoring America’s POW/MIAs and their families. The debt of gratitude for their unimaginable sacrifices in defense of our sovereignty can never be repaid, and must never be forgotten. [Notably, in 2017, Trump called these men and women "suckers and losers."]
NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim September 19, 2025, as National POW/MIA Recognition Day. I salute all American POWs who, in the presence of great dangers and uncertainties, honored their duty to this great country. Let this day also serve as a reminder for our Nation to strengthen our resolve to account for those who are still missing and provide their families long-sought answers. I call upon Federal, State, tribal, and local government officials and private organizations to observe this day with appropriate ceremonies and activities.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this nineteenth day of September, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-five, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and fiftieth.
DONALD J. TRUMP
