LA PLATA, Md. — Charles County will once again participate in National POW/MIA Recognition Day on Friday, Sept. 19, 2025, with a Missing Man Table displayed at the Charles County Government Building in La Plata.
National POW/MIA Recognition Day was established in 1979 through a proclamation signed by President Jimmy Carter. Since then, every president has issued an annual proclamation recognizing the third Friday in September as a time to honor prisoners of war and those still missing in action.
The official 2025 presidential proclamation for National POW/MIA Recognition Day is expected soon and will be available at whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/proclamations.
The symbolic table — also known as the Fallen Comrade Table — is arranged with deep meaning in every detail. At its center sits an empty chair, representing those who cannot return. An inverted glass rests on the place setting, symbolizing the toasts they can no longer share. A slice of lemon and a pinch of salt mark the bitterness of their fate and the tears shed by families. A single red rose, bound with a yellow ribbon, reflects enduring love and the hope of reunion. Set upon a white tablecloth, the display offers a stark reminder of the purity of their sacrifice and the nation’s unbroken commitment to bring them home.
A formal ceremony to honor those still missing is traditionally held at the Pentagon, featuring representatives from each branch of the armed forces and high-ranking officials. Similar observances are held across the country on military installations, ships at sea, state capitols, schools and veterans’ facilities. Each ceremony shares the common purpose of honoring those who were held captive and returned, as well as remembering those who remain unaccounted for.
The observance in Maryland is part of the “From the Mountains to the Sea — Maryland Remembers” campaign, which honors more than 1,000 Marylanders who remain missing from World War I, World War II, Korea and Vietnam. It takes place in accordance with the national observance. To see the full list of Maryland service members still missing in action, visit HonorStates.org’s Maryland MIA database.
In Charles County, a Missing Man Table has been displayed at the government building in past years. At the Board of County Commissioners meeting on Sept. 15, 2025, commissioners adopted an amendment to formally recognize and participate in the observance every year.
Since 1999, the POW/MIA Accounting community has produced an annual poster to commemorate the day, continuing the tradition of remembrance nationwide.
Download the poster here: DPAA Poster Collection
Watch the 2024 National POW/MIA Recognition Day Ceremony: YouTube
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