(Richmond) National POW/MIA Recognition Day will be observed Friday, September 18, 2026, at the Virginia War Memorial in Richmond as a day-long open house.
National POW/MIA Recognition Day is an annual observance held on the third Friday of September to honor and remember the American service members who were held as a Prisoner of War (POW) and those who never returned home and were designated as Missing in Action (MIA). Members of the public are invited and encouraged to visit the Virginia War Memorial on this day of remembrance. Admission and parking at the Virginia War Memorial are free.
More than 80,000 American men and women are still listed as MIA from World War II, Korea, Vietnam, the Persian Gulf, and other conflicts. Of these, nearly 1,300 are Virginians.
Attendees can visit the Memorial’s major exhibit “Virginia’s MIA: The Search Continues,” which opened in 2025 and tells the personal stories of many of those who never returned and those still involved in searching the globe for missing Americans. Visitors may also view two of the Virginia War Memorial’s award-winning Virginians at War documentaries that cover POW experiences in World War II which will be shown in the Memorial’s Reynolds Theater all day.
“Remembering and recognizing our Virginia service members who were captured and held as Prisoners of War during wartime and the thousands more who never returned and are listed as Missing in Action is one of the most important missions of the Virginia War Memorial and why we hold this observance every year” said Director Dr. Clay Mountcastle.
“Our major exhibit highlights the continuing efforts of the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) and other organizations to find the remains of these heroes around the globe.
and bring them home. Each year, more and more are found and brought back to their families and friends to be given the service they deserved and bring closure. It is America’s enduring promise to never leave an American service member behind.”
Dr. Mountcastle also noted that the inspiring “Missing Man Table” exhibit will be set up and on display in the Memorial’s exhibit hall before, during, and after POW/MIA Recognition Day.
The Virginia War Memorial will be open for visitation from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on September 18. For more information, please visit www.vawarmemorial.org or www.dvs.virginia.gov.
