PIERRE, S.D. – Governor Kristi Noem has partnered with the South Dakota Department of Veterans Affairs to proclaim Friday, September 15, 2023 as “POW/MIA Recognition Day.” It’s a day for South Dakotans to pay special honor to the Americans who have been prisoners of war, to those who remain missing in action, and to the families and friends of these servicemembers.
“We are grateful to all of those who have served our nation. On POW/MIA Recognition Day, we take extra time to remember and recognize the sacrifices endured by those members of the Armed Forces of the United States who were held as prisoners of war or remain missing in action,” said Greg Whitlock, secretary of the South Dakota Department of Veterans Affairs.
“There are many ways to honor the men and women who have defended our liberty in our military service,” continued Whitlock. “We honor them by remembering them and their accomplishments, and by pledging to never stop trying to build the world for which they sacrificed so much. We honor them by cherishing with all our hearts the freedoms they paid such a price to defend. We honor our veterans by meeting our part of the solemn compact we have with every soldier, sailor, airman, Marine, and Coast Guardsman to find them and bring them home if they are captured, missing in action, or fallen on the battlefield.”
“In their service to our country, former prisoners of war and those missing in action have sacrificed mightily to maintain the promise of liberty that we hold dear. POW/MIA Recognition Day gives us all a great opportunity to reaffirm our vow to never forget the courage of our nation’s staunchest defenders – our POWs and MIAs. They led lives of great consequence,” concluded Whitlock.