in effect
Proclamation 10972 is a presidential proclamation signed September 19, 2025, formally designating that date as National POW/MIA Recognition Day for 2025. It calls on federal, state, tribal, and local government officials and private organizations to observe the day with ceremonies and activities.
This proclamation establishes the annual observance for 2025 but does not create new law, regulations, or funding mechanisms. It references an existing law from the first Trump administration — the National POW/MIA Flag Act — which already requires the POW/MIA flag to be flown alongside the American flag at certain federal locations. The proclamation notes a milestone: as of March 2025, the 100th service member has been identified from remains repatriated from North Korea, remains believed to represent at least 250 individuals killed in the Korean War. No new directives, deadlines, or appropriations are established by this document.
Federal, state, tribal, and local government agencies and private organizations are called upon to hold appropriate ceremonies on September 19, 2025. The proclamation is primarily symbolic in effect, directed at the general public and particularly the families of the more than 80,000 U.S. service members still listed as missing from past wars and conflicts.