Grand Rapids Reporter

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer recently proclaimed Sept. 16, 2022, as POW/MIA Recognition Day to remember and honor returned U.S. Prisoners of War (POWs) and all American service members still captured, unaccounted for or missing in action (MIA).

“Our commitment to the men and women who served our nation honorably is as strong today as it was when they answered the call to duty,” Whitmer said in a press release from her office. “There are tens of thousands of these Americans—including fellow Michiganders—who are still missing. Their families, friends and communities all live with uncertainty regarding their fate, and we must continue to be unrelenting in our pursuit to bring them home. On POW/MIA Recognition Day, I encourage all Michiganders to remember and honor the incredible sacrifices made by these service members on behalf of their state and country.”

Smiths Creek native Chris Stone served with the Michigan Army National Guard and was among three soldiers taken into custody on March 31, 1999, along the Yugoslav-Macedonian border; the release said. Stone was held in captivity as a POW for more than a month in Yugoslavia during the Kosovo War until his release on May 2, 1999. He received a Prisoner of War Medal for his service. 

“Many of our troops haven’t made it back, I’m one of the lucky ones,” Stone said. “It was an honor for me to serve the great state of Michigan and our county and I know that we’re doing all we can to bring our POWs and MIAs home.”

Whitmer's proclamation declared Sept. 16, 2022, as POW/MIA Recognition Day in Michigan to honor the service and sacrifice of returned U.S. Prisoners of War and all Americans still missing and unaccounted for from the Vietnam War, Korean War, Cold War and World War II.

“More than 80,000 Americans are still unaccounted for and we must ensure that the search for those missing will continue,” U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Paul D. Rogers, adjutant general and director of the Michigan Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, said in the release. “In support of our POWs and those service members who are still MIA, we encourage Michiganders to fly a POW/MIA flag, attend a remembrance event or exhibit at a local museum or discuss major military battles to keep the memory of POW and MIA troops alive.”

There are approximately 1,500 Americans still unaccounted for from the Vietnam War; 7,500 from the Korean War; 72,000 from World War II and 126 from the Cold War.