H2401

Prisoners of War & MIA

Military Dog Tags

Collins Cover Announcement 

POW -- MIA

The faces say it all. Prisoners behind a barbed-wire fence. The forlorn look of despair and yet the glimmer of defiant hope. See if you view it this way. The setting is Southeast Asia with jungle vegetation and simple village huts. Captives half a world away from home on the opposite side of the earth. Those in the military always are at risk for life and limb. In battle they may be killed or wounded. The terrible price of war. But to become a prisoner for five or ten years or beyond. To become a "MIA" (Missing in Action) which means loved ones do not know if you are dead or alive. Where the uncertainty haunts and hangs over family members for years upon years. Most often with never a definite ending reached. Personal sacrifices of immense scale that are too often forgotten by their countrymen.

This stamp pictures dogtags representing POWs and MIAs. I remember my tour of duty in Vietnam in the early sixties. But even having served there it is hard for me to imagine being confined as a prisoner of war. It is hard for me to imagine how a loved one must feel upon being told "Missing in Action". This hand-painted cachet is a little different from my usual format. It is stark and it is dramatic. The faces say "Don't forget us." My cachet says "Their sacrifices will not be forgotten." Item #H2401. $10.75.

Autumn 2022 Mail Sale Commentary 

Lot 20 H2401 — POW and MIA (5-29-95)

When United States military actions and wars are over, there is always great concern and attention paid to remaining prisoners of war (POW) and those missing in action (MIA). This was particularly paramount after the Vietnam War when the North held prisoners in their infamous "Hanoi Hilton" prison. There was also the possibility that they held some individuals classified as MLA. The stamp shows a dog tag and is cancelled on day of issue in Washington, DC. The dramatic cachet shows two 'prisoners behind barbed wire fencing. This is the first time that my POW-MIA cover has appeared in one of my sales.