Senate Resolution No. 1374
BY: Senator BROOKS
COMMEMORATING September 20, 2019, as National
POW/MIA Recognition Day
WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body to join the
members of Vietnam Veterans of America in commemorating Friday,
September 20, 2019, as National POW/MIA Recognition Day; and
WHEREAS, Throughout our Nation's history, the men and women of
America's Armed Forces have preserved our freedom, protected our
security and upheld our democratic values; and
WHEREAS, From the battles of the American Revolution through the
crucible of two world wars to the war on terrorism today, our men and
women in uniform have stood proudly in defense of the United States and
in the cause of liberty; since our Nation's birth, more than a million
have paid the price of that liberty with their lives; and
WHEREAS, Joining the ranks of these heroes are the thousands who
have been prisoners of war or whose fates have never been resolved; many
have been lost in the chaos of battle, the grief of their loss made more
acute for their families and their fellow Americans because of the
inability to determine whether they perished or survived; captive
Americans, cruelly stripped of their freedom, treated with contempt and
brutality, or used as pawns by their captors, have fought long, lonely
battles against despair, physical and psychological torture, and the
ultimate fear of being forgotten; and
WHEREAS, We also remember our fellow Americans who continue to
suffer the uncertainties of wartime; the families, friends and
supporters of those Missing in Action (MIAs) and Prisoners of War (POWs)
who continue to suffer deep anguish and grave concern for the plight of
their loved ones who are numbered among the MIAs and POWs who, because
of the uncertainty surrounding their fates, are not afforded the
recognition which they, indeed, have earned for the sacrifices they have
made and the heroism they have displayed; and
WHEREAS, At the end of the Vietnam War, there reportedly were 2,583
unaccounted for American prisoners, missing or killed in action, their
bodies not recovered; and
WHEREAS, The sacrifices of Americans still missing and unaccounted
for and their families are deserving of special recognition and support
for continued priority efforts to determine the fate of those missing
Americans; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations and
respectfully commemorate September 20, 2019, as National POW/MIA
Recognition Day, and to urge all citizens of the State of New York to
display the Nation's flag that week out of respect for the POWs and the
MIAs of this great Empire State; and be it further
RESOLVED, That copies of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
submitted to Vietnam Veterans organizations throughout the State of New
York.