National Pow/Mia Recognition Day

Floor Speech

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Mr. CRAPO. Mr. President, in honor of America's prisoners of war, POWs, and missing in action, MIA, I join in acknowledging National POW/ MIA Recognition Day this September 15, 2023.

Each year before POW/MIA Recognition Day, the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, DPAA, the Agency primarily responsible for recovering America's servicemembers, creates a poster commemorating the lives of U.S. servicemembers still unaccounted for from past conflicts. This year's poster features the words: ``Though not here, their sacrifice is not forgotten.''

The sacrifice of America's unaccounted-for servicemembers is not forgotten thanks in large part to the POW/MIA families and veterans who have remained committed to keeping the pursuit of facts at the forefront of our national conscience. The sacrifice is not forgotten due to the hard work of those who work for and assist the DPAA and related efforts to get needed answers and bring all American servicemembers home. And the sacrifice is not forgotten due to the commitment of the members of the POW*MIA Awareness Rally Corp. of Pocatello, ID, and others across our country who keep a spotlight on the need to keep pressing forward until every American servicemember is brought home.

As I thank all involved in this effort, I urge the enactment of the Bring Our Heroes Home Act, which I joined Senator Jeanne Shaheen, in re-introducing this Congress, to help eliminate obstacles preventing families and caseworkers from accessing the records needed for recovering America's POWs and MIA. America's heroes and their families deserve this reduction in bureaucratic redtape as we make a strong effort to identify and recover those who have not yet made it back home.

On National POW/MIA Day, we honor those Americans who have thankfully returned home, the families and loved ones who stood by awaiting their return, and we remain committed to finding answers for the families who continue to await the return of their missing and unaccounted-for loved ones. Thank you to America's servicemembers, veterans and their families for their extraordinary commitment to our country and to all those who work to ensure their return home.

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