There are no precise, real-time global figures for current Prisoners of War (POWs) because data is fragmented and often classified, but tens of thousands of soldiers remain missing from recent conflicts, particularly from WWII, Korea, and Vietnam, with the U.S. DPAA accounting for over 80,000 missing service members across various wars, most in the Indo-Pacific, while many more historical POW/MIA cases remain unresolved globally.
More than 80,000 American service personnel are missing from previous conflicts and 38,000 are estimated to be recoverable. The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency remains relentless in its mission to provide the fullest possible accounting to their families and the nation, until they're home.
Of the more than 30,000 Australians made POWs during World War II (1939 to 1945), more than 22,000 were captured by the Japanese in south-east Asia, mainly in early 1942. Most of the 8,500 or so Australians in European POW camps had been captured in the Greek and Crete campaigns of 1941.
There are only a tiny number of D-Day veterans alive today
As of 2023, across the world, there are estimated to be a few thousand D-Day veterans still alive today.
Since World War I, over 142,000 Americans – including 85 women – have been captured and interned as POWs. Not included in this figure are nearly 93,000 Americans who were lost or never recovered. Nearly 30% of America's POWs since World War I are still living (29,350).
Captive or POW Pay and Allowance Entitlements: Soldiers are entitled to all pay and allowances that were authorized prior to the POW period. Soldiers who are in a POW status are authorized payment of 50% of the worldwide average per diem rate for each day held in captive status.
In 1942, 12-year-old Calvin Graham became the youngest person to serve in World War II. After losing his father young and enduring an abusive stepfather, Calvin decided to join the war effort. He practiced a deep voice, shaved to appear older, and forged his mother's signature to enlist in the Navy.
More than 6,800 Americans and 20 thousand Japanese were killed in the 36-day battle for Iwo Jima, which was considered a turning point in the last phase of World War II. It is estimated that only three survivors of Iwo Jima are still alive, and Caminiti is one of them.
That number is likely much lower now, but only because the overall numbers have decreased so much in recent years. By 2036, VA projections estimate only 300 veterans will remain, and soon after, none.
Vegemite is banned in some Australian prisons, particularly Victoria's, because inmates used its yeast to brew alcohol and smear it on drugs to confuse narcotics dogs, despite the yeast being inactive. While prisoners argue it's a cultural right and essential for wellbeing, officials cite security concerns over potential homebrew and drug interference, leading to bans under "Contraband" policies, notes The New York Times.
WW2 soldiers carried condoms primarily for disease prevention (STDs like syphilis and gonorrhea) and for practical combat uses, such as keeping sand and mud out of their rifle barrels, protecting small items, or even as makeshift waterproof bags, although the weapon-protection use is sometimes exaggerated in popular culture. The military distributed them widely (often in "prophylactic kits") to maintain troop strength, recognizing the significant manpower lost to venereal diseases in past conflicts.
Field Marshal Erwin Rommel held great respect for Australian soldiers, viewing them as tough, skilled, and formidable fighters, especially in attack, famously stating he'd use Australians to take hell and New Zealanders to hold it, though some historians question the exact phrasing while confirming his admiration for their fighting prowess in North Africa, documented in his letters.
But in many ways, it is also the story of our country's painful growth in the 1960s and 70s. United States Army Colonel Floyd “Jim” Thompson, the longest held prisoner of war (POW) in American history, and his wife, Alyce, were products of the idealism of post-World War II America.
If he swore to cease hostilities against the nation that held him captive, he could be repatriated or exchanged but could not serve against his former captors in a military capacity.
There are still nearly 72,000 service members unaccounted for from World War II.
In one version of the formal apology, Emperor Hirohito, the Japanese monarch, is reported to have said to General MacArthur in English: "I come before you to offer myself to the judgment of the powers you represent, as one to bear sole responsibility for every political and military decision made and action taken by my ...
Most surviving World War II veterans are now in their late 90s or have reached 100 years old. The youngest veterans who could have served would have been born around 1927, making them at least 97 years old today. The majority of survivors were born between 1920-1925, placing them well into their centenarian years.
The American dead were temporarily buried on Iwo Jima or transferred to ships offshore. All of the U.S. dead whose bodies were located were eventually repatriated.
Only California (5,094), Florida (3,753) and Texas (2,720) have more living World War II veterans than the Keystone State. Nationwide, there are 45,418 veterans from this era. The VA projects that only 330 veterans from World War II will still be alive a decade from now, in 2035.
Despite his remarkably young age, the six year old Seryozha Aleshkov was recruited into the Soviet Red Army as a soldier by his adoptive father Commander Mikhail Vorobych, and Seryozha Aleshkov became the youngest known soldier, at just six years old.
You may have heard the story of Calvin Graham, the youngest American to fight in World War II, who was only 12 years old when he enlisted in the Navy after the attack on Pearl Harbor.
WW2 soldiers carried condoms primarily for disease prevention (STDs like syphilis and gonorrhea) and for practical combat uses, such as keeping sand and mud out of their rifle barrels, protecting small items, or even as makeshift waterproof bags, although the weapon-protection use is sometimes exaggerated in popular culture. The military distributed them widely (often in "prophylactic kits") to maintain troop strength, recognizing the significant manpower lost to venereal diseases in past conflicts.
John Wayne didn't serve in WWII due to a combination of age (34 at Pearl Harbor), family status (deferment for wife and kids), and, crucially, occupational deferments secured by his studio, Republic Pictures, who argued his films were vital for national morale, though he reportedly wanted to enlist, leading to lifelong guilt and a reputation as a "draft dodger" despite his patriotic image.
Pedro Richee as of 2024, there were surprisingly 2,400 WWII veterans alive in Australia.