Missing in action facts for kids

The POW/MIA flag for soldiers who are missing or captured in wars

A Missing in Action (MIA) soldier is someone who was part of the military but disappeared during a war. Nobody knows what happened to them. They might have been killed, hurt, captured by the enemy, or even left their post. If they died, their body or grave cannot be found or identified. Being missing in action has been a risk for soldiers for as long as there have been wars.

Missing Soldiers from Different Wars

Many soldiers have gone missing in action throughout history. Here are some numbers for U.S. service members from different conflicts.

World War II

World War II was a huge global conflict. Many soldiers went missing during this time.

• As of January 2021, about 72,533 U.S. service members and civilians were still missing from World War II.
• Most of these missing people were from the Asia/Pacific region (over 47,000) and Europe (over 20,000).

Korean War

The Korean War took place in the early 1950s.

• As of January 2021, about 7,567 U.S. service members were still missing from the Korean War.
• Many of these soldiers went missing in areas like prisoner of war (POW) camps or battle zones.

Vietnam War

The Vietnam War happened from the 1950s to the 1970s.

• As of January 2021, about 1,585 U.S. service members and civilians were still missing from the Vietnam War.

Cold War

The Cold War was a long period of tension between the U.S. and the Soviet Union.

• As of January 2021, about 126 U.S. service members were missing from the Cold War.
• Most of these were from Asia/Pacific and Europe.

Other Conflicts

A few U.S. service members are also missing from more recent conflicts.

• As of January 2021, 5 were missing from the Gulf Wars and Middle East.
• 1 was missing from a conflict in Africa called El Dorado Canyon.

In total, as of January 2021, about 81,817 U.S. service members have been missing from World War II to the present day.

Related Places

• Tomb of the Unknown Soldier: A monument dedicated to unidentified soldiers.
• Garden of the Missing in Action: A special place to remember those who disappeared in war.

Images for kids

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  Grave of 12 unknown British and/or Commonwealth soldiers. Buried in Stanley Military Cemetery, Hong Kong.

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  The Garden of the Missing in Action in the National Military and Police Cemetery in Mount Herzl in Jerusalem.

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  After the 2018 Trump-Kim summit, North Korea searched for and returned the remains of U.S. POWs and MIAs from the Korean War.

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  The remains of US soldiers in DPRK start the journey to the U.S. after 65 years.

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  The US war remains were delivered from Wonsan, North Korea by U.S. military transport plane C-17 Globemaster to the Osan Air Base near Seoul, South Korea.

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  POW☆​​MIA Flag.

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  The fate of American POW/MIAs from the Vietnam War spurred interest in POW/MIAs from all wars. Here a roadside plaque in the U.S. state of Georgia lists such figures.

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  "Missing in Action" plaque at Veterans Memorial Park in Rhome in north Texas

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  Ossuary at the Gallipoli battlefield, containing the remains of 3000 unidentified French soldiers who died in 1915

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  Grave of an unknown Indian Army combatant in Lae War Cemetery, Papua New Guinea

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  Monument to prisoners of war and missing soldiers in Neustadt am Rübenberge, Germany

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  Grave of unknown Indian Army soldier, Taukkyan War Cemetery, Burma

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  Grave of unknown British or Commonwealth soldier, Taukkyan War Cemetery, Burma

See also

In Spanish: Desaparecido en acción para niños