On Thursday, legislation co-authored by Senator Paul Utke (R-Park Rapids) to honor Minnesota soldiers was heard in the Senate’s Veterans and Military Affairs Committee. The bill, SF 242, would designate the third Friday in September of each year as Prisoners of War and Missing in Action Recognition Day and would also require the governor to issue a proclamation honoring this observance each year.

“Prisoners of War and Missing in Action Recognition Day remind us to honor those service members who endured captivity and whose remains have yet to be recovered,” said Senator Paul Utke. “It also serves as a reminder that as long as members of our military remain unaccounted for, we will remain committed to finding them and bringing them home.”

Currently, POW/MIA Recognition Day is celebrated nationally every year on the third Friday of September with the President of the United States traditionally proclaiming remembrance.

According to the Department of Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, over 82,000 Americans remain missing from WWII, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Cold War, the Gulf Wars and other conflicts. That figure includes 1,575 Minnesotans.

To get involved and support our POW/MIA soldiers you can search for the National League of POW/MIA Families, where you can learn more about their projects and events and find ways to contribute.