Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam and state Department of Veterans Affairs Commissioner Many-Bears Grinder announced September 21-27, 2012 as POW/MIA Recognition Week.In 1990, the 101st Congress passed legislation to recognize the National League of Families’ POW/MIA flag. Since 2011, the week beginning the third Friday of September and extending through the following Thursday of each year shall be designated as “Tennessee POW-MIA Recognition Week” to remember and pay tribute to service members captured by the enemy and those still missing in action.
“Hearing the stories of former Prisoners of War is an unforgettable experience and offering our recognition as a state is a powerful way to salute their bravery and perseverance,” Grinder said. “We continue to remember those still missing in action and their families while they wait for closure and answers.”
More than 83,000 Americans and more than 200 Tennesseans are still missing or unaccounted for since World War II.
Commissioner Grinder presented Governor Haslam’s POW/MIA Recognition Week Proclamation to Tennessee Valley Healthcare System Director Juan Morales during an Ex-POW/MIA ceremony on September 14, 2012.
