Hegseth, Caine Honor Nation's POW/MIAs

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and Air Force Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, hosted a group of approximately 300 former prisoners of war, family members of POWs and those missing in action, service members and other guests today on the Pentagon parade field as part of National POW/MIA Recognition Day.

During their remarks, the two leaders shared stories of service members from past and present conflicts who were POWs or MIAs, emphasizing the country's commitment to never leaving anyone behind.

"That's why we're here this morning: because the United States military leaves no man behind; never before, and never - still - to this day," Hegseth said.

"We refuse to forget the warriors from whom our nation demanded the ultimate and most agonizing sacrifice; not just in sacrifices of life - in some cases, of course - but the sacrifice of identity, the sacrifice of a grave," he added.

Speaking just before Hegseth, Caine also emphasized the military's relentless commitment to leaving no one behind.

"Today, my brothers and sisters, who are here from those families - the families of our missing and our prisoners of war - thank you. We owe you and your families an incredible debt of gratitude, and we owe those that are still missing and their families who continue to wait for them our fullest and continued effort to bring every single one of them home," Caine told the guests, adding that the obligation to bring everyone home doesn't fade with time or lessen with distance.

"Our duty does not end until every missing American is accounted for and brought home to a grateful nation. This is our nation's debt, and we will always continue to repay it," Caine said.

Hegseth and Caine also took time during their remarks to praise the work of the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, which was formed in 2015 to account for missing service members from past conflicts.

One anecdote Hegseth used to point out the work DPAA is doing was the story of a group of World War II-era U.S. service members who were captured by the Japanese and put into the hold of a "hell ship" in 1944.

"When the ship was sinking in Subic Bay [Philippines], and our men tried to swim to safety, the enemy shot them. But today we're finding their ID bracelets, broken eyeglasses, and American military shoes - and we're bringing them home at last," Hegseth said.

To date, DPAA has identified more than 1,000 sets of remains and accounted for thousands of others.

Among the guests attending the ceremony was the daughter of an American World War II POW who was forced to participate in the Bataan Death March and ultimately was imprisoned on one of the hell ships Hegseth mentioned in his remarks.

"It was nice to hear someone else mention [the ships] because I've just heard my dad talk about them … so that was nice," the woman, who traveled across the country from Northern California to attend the ceremony, said.

"It's nice that [National POW/MIA Recognition Day is] still recognized - it gives hope for other people," she added.

First observed in 1979, National POW/MIA Recognition Day is observed annually on the third Friday of September.