Letter: You are not forgotten
Letter: You are not forgotten
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Posted by tinyminton Tue Nov 30, 1999 00:00:00 PST
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4 responses 0 comments It seems that there are more flags displayed on the July 4 than any other American holiday. While my allegiance to the flag is unwavering, there is another flag, not as prominently displayed as Old Glory, that is equally worthy of respect and tribute, the POW/MIA flag.
There are 58,249 names listed on the Vietnam Veteran’s Memorial Wall. Approximately 1,200 of these names are listed as missing (MIA's, POW's and others). I cannot imagine the emptiness one must feel to have to grow up not knowing a parent lost to a war, or worse, not having the closure of knowing what happened or where it happened. To countless families and comrades, this feeling of emptiness is unremitting.
So why do we fly the POW/MIA flag? The answer is simple: we fly the flag as a symbol of our concern and commitment to achieving the fullest possible accounting of Americans who still remain unaccounted for.
The importance of the POW/MIA flag lies in its continued visibility, a constant reminder of the plight of prisoners of war and those missing in action. Other than Old Glory, the POW/MIA flag is the only flag ever to fly over the White House, having been displayed in this place of honor on National POW/MIA Recognition Day since 1982.
POW/MIA recognition is not limited to the Vietnam War; the Defense Prisoner of War and Missing Personnel Office maintains a database of POW/MIAs from World War II, the Cold War and the Gulf War.
You are not forgotten: four simple words that represent so much to so many. Take a moment to reflect on this when the nation honors its POW’s and MIA’s on Sept. 15.
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