Killed in action facts for kids

Killed in Action (KIA) is a military term. It is used to describe a member of the military who was killed during a battle. On Kiddle articles about battles, leaders who were killed in action have this symbol (†) next to their name.

PKIA means presumed killed in action. This term is used when personnel are lost in battle, initially listed missing in action (MIA), but after not being found, are later presumed to have not survived. This is typical of naval battles or engagements on other hostile environments where recovering bodies is difficult. A very large number of soldiers killed in action went unidentified in World War I, like the son of British poet Rudyard Kipling, prompting the formation of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

Images for kids

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  The Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial, near Colleville-sur-Mer in France, honoring American troops who died in Europe during World War II