Mayor Joseph Hankins and the Manchester Township Council recognized National POW/MIA Recognition Day this week, honoring American service members who were prisoners of war or never returned home.
MANCHESTER, NJ — Manchester Township marked National POW/MIA Recognition Day this week with a formal proclamation honoring American service members who endured captivity and those who remain missing in action.
Mayor Joseph Hankins presented the proclamation alongside members of the Township Council during the governing body’s regular meeting, with members of the Manchester Township Veterans Advisory Committee accepting the recognition on behalf of the servicemembers being remembered.
National POW/MIA Recognition Day is observed on the third Friday of September, falling this year on Friday, Sept. 18. The national observance dates to 1979 and serves as a day to recognize former prisoners of war, remember service members who remain missing and acknowledge the families who continue waiting for answers.
Hankins calls on residents to remember those who never returned
During his reading of the proclamation, Hankins asked Manchester residents to reflect on both the sacrifices made by prisoners of war and the continuing effort to account for Americans who remain missing.
“We call upon all residents to pause in remembrance of the sacrifices made by our nation’s prisoners of war and those missing in action, to fly the POW/MIA flag in their honor, and to keep faith with their families until the fullest possible accounting of our missing has been achieved,” Hankins said.
The ceremony continues a tradition in Manchester Township of formally recognizing veterans, military families and days of national remembrance.
Manchester has previously issued proclamations tied to military service and veterans, including recognition through its Veterans Advisory Committee and other commemorative events. Township records also show Manchester has marked National POW/MIA Recognition Day in prior years.
Zolezi points to Manchester’s strong veteran community
Council President Michele Zolezi said the observance carries particular significance in a community with a substantial veteran population.
“Manchester Township has a very strong veteran community, and observances like POW-MIA Recognition Day are particularly meaningful here,” Zolezi said.
“We honor not only those who serve and sacrifice, but those who never came home, and the families living with unanswered questions and uncertainty.”
The township’s recognition comes as communities across the country hold ceremonies and memorial observances honoring former prisoners of war and Americans still listed as missing.
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs says approximately 80,000 Americans remain missing from conflicts including World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Cold War and later conflicts.
National observance dates back nearly five decades
National POW/MIA Recognition Day grew out of efforts by families of missing service members who pressed the federal government for greater accounting of Americans who had not returned from war.
The first national observance was held in 1979. It is now marked each year on the third Friday in September, with ceremonies held at military installations, veterans facilities, government buildings and communities throughout the country.
The black-and-white POW/MIA flag has become one of the most recognizable symbols associated with the observance and carries the enduring message that missing Americans have not been forgotten.
Events were scheduled at Veterans Affairs facilities across the country Friday, including ceremonies specifically honoring former prisoners of war and those who remain unaccounted for.
In Ocean County, where veterans remain a visible part of civic life, Manchester’s proclamation placed that national remembrance into a local setting.
Members of the township’s Veterans Advisory Committee stood with Hankins and the Council as the proclamation was presented, representing the community’s continuing connection to those who served and the families still awaiting answers.
The recognition joins other New Jersey observances honoring veterans, military families and Americans who never returned from war.