P.O.W.s Never Have a Nice Day

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Text on Button P.O.W.'S NEVER HAVE A NICE DAY
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Black and white illustration of a sad face with black text around the outer edge of the button on a white background .

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The Vietnam war which raged on for almost twenty years between 1955 and 1975 took countless lives on both sides. Apart from the high death count, many soldiers also went missing in action, never to be found. In addition, during the course of the war, prisoners were taken on both sides. These prisoners of war had to endure terrible conditions and often lacked a proper source of food. Many would endure torture for information, and many tragically perished as a result of their conditions.

The war effort increasingly grew unpopular as the toll became greater, especially in the United States. Several protests took place by citizens to show their displeasure and force the United States to cease the war. One of these methods was this button that would help to convey that POWs never had a good day. They would endure horrific conditions, and these buttons helped to remind people of what they were going through. 

Sources

Perlstein, R. (2015, June 29). The enduring cult of the Vietnam ‘Missing in action’. The Nation. https://www.thenation.com/article/archive/enduring-cult-vietnam-missing…

Catalog ID SM0079