POW/MIA
The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency's mission is to provide the fullest possible accounting for our missing personnel from past conflicts to their families and the nation. We search for missing personnel from World War II (WWII), the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Cold War, the Gulf Wars, and other recent conflicts. Our research and operational missions involve coordination with hundreds of countries and municipalities worldwide.
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As of the latest update on May 22, 2023, more than 81,000 Americans remain missing from WWII, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Cold War, and the Gulf Wars/other conflicts. Out of the total, approximately 75% of the losses are located in the Indo-Pacific region, and over 41,000 of the missing are presumed lost at sea (such as ship losses and known aircraft water losses).
Prisoner of War is defined as a person who has been captured and imprisoned by the enemy in war.
Missing in Action is defined as a member of the armed forces not yet traced or confirmed as either alive or dead.
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Below is a by war/conflict diagram depicting statistical data.
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War | Dates | Total Missing Since 1973 | Total Accounted For | Total Unaccounted For | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
WWII | Dec 7, 1941 - Dec 31, 1946 | 73,699 | 1,476 | 72,223 | Global |
Vietnam | July 8, 1959 - May 15, 1975 | 2,641 | 1,062 | 1,579 | North and South Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia |
Korea | June 27, 1950 - July 27, 1953 | 8,157 | 658 | 7,499 | Korean Peninsula |
Cold War | Sep 2, 1945 - Aug 21, 1991 | 128 | 2 | 126 | The former Soviet Union, Yugoslavia, Hungary, East Germany, North Korea, Albania, China |
Iraq and Libya | Apr 15, 1985 - Present | 6 | 0 | 0 | Iraq, Persian Gulf, Libya |
