Home > POW

Gold Star Veterans : Archive of American Prisoners of War

Prisoner of War Rules protecting POWs were formalized in the 1929 Geneva Convention. They were refined in the 1949 Geneva Convention, as well as the Additional Protocol of 1977. The United States Military Code of Conduct was established in 1955 to serve as a specific moral code for American armed services personnel captured by enemy forces.

Some statistics for American Armed Forces Service Members classified as Prisoners of War and those who died while captured. This includes both confirmed and approximate numbers.
World War I : 147 deaths of 4,000 POWs
World War II : 15,000 deaths of 94,000 POWs
Korean War : 2,700 deaths of 7,100 POWs
Vietnam War : 114 deaths of 1,500 POWs
Select a USA State from the List Below:
Guardians of Honor Credits
Organizational Supporters - HonorStates.org and the National Unified Archive of American Gold Star Veterans is stringently curated. This attention to quality extends to our supporters program. We carefully research and screen prospective organizations we perceive as being suitably aligned with our mission
National D-Day Memorial USS Midway Museum 75th Pearl Harbor Wall of Honor Balboa Park Veterans Museum American Veterans Center 75th D-Day Congressional Reception
Research Contributors - Groups and individuals who have been directly responsible for curating content. Some are experienced historians and archivists, others are enthusiastic members of the public who have suggested content additions or corrections.
Honor States Admin Roy "Joker" Sarah Jo "Lady Chaos"
Primary Sources - These are repositories for artifacts, documents, diaries, manuscripts, and other information that serve as original and authoritative sources of information.
National Archives (NARA) Library of Congress (LOC) Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) Findagrave.com Ancestry.com
honoring our fallen healing together Honoring our fallen. Together. Uniting us in meaningful common cause. When we work together to honor our Gold Star veterans, we heal our nation together. It's a team effort. Everyone's invited to join as a Citizen Historian and Guardian of Honor. - learn more
Here is Some Important Information!
featured supporter
Rolling Thunder National Riders
Incorporated in 1995, Rolling Thunder, Inc is a registered non-profit organization with over 90 chartered chapters throughout the United States. Members are old and young, men and women, veterans and civilians. All united in the cause to bring full accountability for the POW/MIA of all wars, reminding all of our watchwords: We Will Not Forget.
Featured National Supporter
Our Supporters are Essential Team Members! - learn more
thank you
We appreciate the generous help + encouragement from our research teams, volunteers, and foundational supporters. Each of them are essential team members contributing to the archive building progress.
progress
Honor States and the National Unified Archive of American Gold Star Veterans has an established policy of developing "most complete" datasets. These are groups, campaigns and actions of special historical significance. Some notable examples include:
impact
It's required 8+ years, 1000s of skilled labor hours, scores of active contributors, and millions of visitors to realize the value in the National Unified Archive of American Gold Star Veterans. We have not satisfied everyone. That's impossible, considering the unique + personal needs of individuals. However, our annual positivity ratings exceed 95%. It's tough to get that many people to agree on anything. So, we do seem to be on the right track.
honor
None of us would be who we are, or have what we have, if not for the strengths and sacrifices of others. Most of us enjoy lives of relative freedom. Our freedom has come at enormous cost. The price paid by those who gave their all. In service to their country, states and communities. Each of them a beloved member of our global family.
states
You meet a new friend. Common question. "Where are you from"? Alabama. Ohio. California. Grew up in the Bronx. Family lives in Pasadena. Went to school in Boston. Worked in Chicago. We have roots everywhere. These state and community identities are foundational in defining who Americans are at heart. It's the who and what we fight for when pressed.
Margaret - Thank you for all the hard work you've put into this project. I know you have a small team and are determined to do your best.
Taylor - It is unbelievable what these young Americans sacrifice to preserve our freedom. I'm inspired and humbled by them all.
Collin - Your site is providing educational benefits. Kids especially really need to know of the supreme gifts of their freedom.
Travis - What an incredibly determined human being. These guys are what make up the backbone of our country. Thanks for your work.