LANSING, Mich., Sept. 18, 2026 — On today’s National POW/MIA Recognition Day, state Rep. Veronica Paiz (D-Harper Woods) introduced House Bill 6335 of 2026 to designate the third Friday of every September as POW/MIA Day in Michigan, honoring American service members who were held as prisoners of war and those who remain missing in action.
“POW/MIA Day would give Michiganders an opportunity to honor the thousands of American service members who endured captivity as prisoners of war and remember those who remain missing,” Paiz said. “As a nation and as a state, we have always held to the promise to never leave a soldier behind. We must continue to uphold that commitment by remembering those who served and supporting efforts to account for every service member who has yet to come home.”
More than 80,000 Americans remain missing from past conflicts, according to the U.S. Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency. Among them are more than 2,800 service members from Michigan who remain unaccounted for, including approximately 2,438 from World War II, 327 from the Korean War, 48 from the Vietnam War and five from the Cold War. Paiz’s legislation would make POW/MIA Day a permanent observance on Michigan’s state calendar, encouraging communities to honor those who endured captivity, remember those who remain missing and stand with the families who have carried their absence across generations.
“The names of our service members who remain missing are still carried on our nation’s roll call. Giving this observance a permanent place in Michigan ensures that, year after year, our state continues to answer that roll call with enduring commitment,” Paiz added.
The U.S. Congress first recognized a national POW/MIA commemoration in 1979. The third Friday of September was later established as the annual date so the observance would not be tied to any one conflict and could honor prisoners of war and missing service members from across generations. Since 1995, U.S. presidents of both parties have continued the tradition through annual proclamations.
Press Release | Rep. Veronica Paiz