FL Legion POW MIA

08/17/2026

Registration is Now Open for the 2026 National POW/MIA Recognition Day 24-Hour Remembrance Vigil -
Stand the Watch. Remember the Missing.

This September, join us for the National POW/MIA Recognition Day 24-Hour Remembrance Vigil at the National POW/MIA Memorial & Museum in Jacksonville.

From 12:00 PM Friday, September 18 through 12:00 PM Saturday, September 19, individuals, families, veterans, military organizations, civic groups, and community members are invited to stand a 30-minute watch in honor of America's Prisoners of War, those still Missing in Action, and the families who continue to wait.

Each reservation is for 30 minutes, with the option to reserve consecutive time slots for a longer watch.

A registration fee applies to vigil reservations. Active-duty U.S. military personnel may participate at no charge.

Every name remembered. Every watch stood. Every moment matters.

🇺🇸 Choose your time and stand the watch:
View the 24-Hour Vigil Schedule & Reserve Your Time
https://powmiamemorial.org/24-hour-vigil-schedule/

08/17/2026

https://www.wjcl.com/article/the-search-never-stops-inside-the-mission-to-bring-missing-service-members-home/73434683

DPAA Director explains how the decades-long mission to find missing service members helped bring a Savannah native home

08/17/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/1Jp6cN4cDT/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Sgt. Leonard J. McNeill, 27, of Orlando, served as a tail gunner aboard a Boeing B-29 “Superfortress” bomber. His plane crashed over Japan in April 1945. He was captured as a prisoner of war and died in a fire in Tokyo.

08/17/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1BhrKxU43e/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Lieutenant General Jonathan Wainwright was in a Japanese POW camp in Northern China where he and other high-value Allied officers were held. As head of U.S. Forces in the Philippines, he surrendered Corregidor on May 6, 1942, and the rest of the Philippines within the following days.

On August 16, 1945, a six-man Office of Strategic Services (OSS) team parachuted into (Hoten) Mukden (today’s Shenyang), POW camp in northern China, to liberate the POWs and locate the senior officers held by the Japanese. On August 19, several dozen British, Dutch, and American senior officers, including Lieutenant Generals Jonathan Wainwright and A.E. Percival, were at the Hsian POW camp, 150 miles north of Mukden. This was the first they heard that the war had ended.

However, the prisoners still had to wait for the arrival of the Russian Red Army on August 24 to move out. The Japanese, noted Wainwright, left the prisoners the remaining Red Cross packages, and they "began having fine, well-cooked meals, the first sufficient food we had since the outbreak of the war. We smoked American ci******es like chimneys."

The years of captivity took its toll on the general. He had endured prison camps in the Philippines, Formosa, and China. The man who had been nicknamed “Skinny” was now emaciated. His hair had turned white, and his skin was cracked and fragile. He was also depressed, believing he would be blamed for losing the Philippines to the Japanese.

When Wainwright arrived in Yokohama, Japan, to attend the formal surrender ceremony, Gen. Douglas MacArthur, his former commander, was stunned at his appearance. Wainwright was given a hero’s welcome upon returning to America, promoted to full general and awarded the Medal of Honor.

We are forever grateful to General Wainwright for his leadership, service, and sacrifice.

PHOTO: Wainwright (right) and MacArthur greet, August 1945.

08/15/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/181b6hyFRb/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Join Us for National POW/MIA Recognition Day 2026

The National POW/MIA Memorial & Museum invites you to join us for National POW/MIA Recognition Day 2026, a powerful two-day community tribute dedicated to honoring America's Prisoners of War, those who remain Missing in Action, and the families who continue to carry their legacy. The event takes place September 18–19, 2026, at the National POW/MIA Memorial & Museum in Jacksonville, Florida.

The observance begins on Friday, September 18, with our 24-Hour Remembrance Vigil, where individuals, families, veteran organizations, civic groups, businesses, and active-duty military units stand watch around the clock to ensure that those who have not returned home are never forgotten. Registration for Vigil participants is now open.

On Saturday, September 19, the community is invited to a day of remembrance featuring:

🎖️ National POW/MIA Recognition Day Ceremony
✈️ Dreamland Squadron Flyover
🏍️ American Legion Riders 7 Bridges Ride arrival
🎶 Live entertainment throughout the day
🌭 Food trucks and refreshments
🎖️ Veterans organizations, exhibits, and family-friendly activities

Whether you stand a Vigil watch, attend the ceremony, or simply spend time learning the stories of those who sacrificed so much for our nation, your presence helps ensure that their service—and their sacrifice—will never be forgotten.

📅 September 18–19, 2026
📍 National POW/MIA Memorial & Museum
6112 POW-MIA Memorial Parkway
Jacksonville, Florida

👉 Learn more and register for the vigil:
https://powmiamemorial.org/event/national-pow-mia-recognition-day-2026-24-hour-remembrance-vigil-community-tribute/
https://powmiamemorial.org/24-hour-vigil-schedule/

Please share this event with your family, friends, coworkers, and fellow veterans. Together, we can honor those who gave so much and reaffirm our nation's promise:

You Are Not Forgotten.

08/13/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1KKkg4765n/?mibextid=wwXIfr

National Park Service Announces Planned Interment of Civil War Soldier Recovered at Manassas National Battlefield Park

Archaeological study complete as NPS prepares to transfer remains of young Union soldier recovered at Manassas

More than 160 years after he likely fought in the Second Battle of Manassas, a young Union soldier recovered during archaeological excavations at Manassas National Battlefield Park is one step closer to receiving the honors afforded to those who served their country.

The National Park Service today announced its plan to transfer the soldier's remains to the Office of Army Cemeteries following the completion of archaeological study and documentation, consistent with its responsibilities under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act.

The soldier was discovered during professional archaeological excavations conducted in March 2024 at the site of a Civil War field hospital within Manassas National Battlefield Park. Archaeologists were investigating an area associated with the Second Battle of Manassas when they uncovered the nearly complete burial of a Union soldier, along with a historic rubber pocket comb. The excavation also recovered four surgically amputated limbs from wounded soldiers treated at the hospital during the battle.

Analysis indicates the soldier was approximately 16 to 19 years old and likely fought during the Second Battle of Manassas in August 1862, one of the largest and most significant engagements of the Civil War.

"Every soldier who fought on this battlefield has a story, even if we may never know their name," said Superintendent Kristofer Butcher. "It has been our privilege and responsibility to care for these remains with dignity, guided by science, respect, and our commitment to preserving America's history. We are honored that this soldier will now receive a final resting place at Arlington National Cemetery."

The planned transfer reflects the National Park Service's dual responsibility to preserve and study archaeological resources while treating human remains with dignity and respect. The National Park Service remains committed to preserving America's battlefield history, advancing archaeological research, and honoring those who served.

Supporting documentation will be available for public review through the National Park Service Planning, Environment and Public Comment website from Aug. 13, 2026, through Sept. 4, 2026, consistent with the public notice requirements of Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act.

For more information, visit: https://home.nps.gov/mana/learn/news/national-park-service-announces-planned-interment-of-civil-war-soldier-recovered-at-manassas-national-battlefield-park.htm

Image Text: Soldiers from the U.S. Army 3rd Infantry Regiment, the "Old Guard" carry flag covered caskets of two Union soldiers discovered in the Manassas National Battlefield Park in 2018 during the transfer ceremony before their interment in Arlington National Cemetery. A park ranger salutes in the background.

08/13/2026

We got over 10 reactions on one of our posts last week! Thanks everyone for your support! Appreciate your help Mike L

08/11/2026

Order your 2026 Posters today, Small or Large. https://dpaa-mil.sites.crmforce.mil/dpaaPosters

08/09/2026