POW Statistics (National)

More than one-fourth of the Americans held prisoner in the last five (5) U.S. conflicts are now living. Records show that 142,233 Americans were captured and interned during World War I, World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Gulf War, and the Somalia and Kosovo conflicts. This includes 81 women seized on Guam or in the Philippines during World War II, and two (2) during the Gulf War.

Of that total, an estimated 42,781 were living as of Jan. 1, 2002. This includes 39,719 from World War II, 2,434 from the Korean War, 601 from the Vietnam War, 23 from the Gulf War, one (1) from Somalia and three (3) from the Kosovo Conflict.

	Captured & Interned	Returned to U.S. Military Control	Refused Repatriation	Died while POW	Alive (Jan. 2002)
GRAND TOTAL	142,233	125,208	21	17,001	42,781
WWI	4,120	3,973	0	147	0
WWII	130,201	116,129	0	14,072	39,719
Korea	7,140	4,418	21	2,701	2,434
Vietnam	745	661	0	84	601
Gulf	23	23	0	0	23
Somalia	1	1	0	0	1
Bosnia	0	0	0	0	0
Kosovo	3	3	0	0	3

Statistical information courtesy of Charles A. Stenger (American Ex-Prisoners of War Association).

NOTE:  Congress defines a prisoner of war as a person who, while serving on active duty, was forcibly detained by an enemy government or a hostile force, during a period of war or in situations comparable to war.