Fort Polk ceremony honors POWs & MIAs

The POW/MIA flag is flying at Fort Polk.

The Joint Readiness Training Center and Fort Polk have a Friday morning ceremony to honor prisoners of war and service members missing in action. It culminates with a motorcycle ride led by the Combat Veterans Motorcycle Association.

Since 1979, the third Friday in September has been a national day to recognize U.S. service members who were held prisoner or remain missing, and their families.

It is one of six days that Congress has mandated flying the POW/MIA flag at major military installations, national cemeteries, post offices and other sites including the White House.

The Department of Defense has more than 600 people working to account for more than 83,000 missing service members from conflicts as far back as World War II.