VNV
M/C North Dakota
SHOW OUR SUPPORT
WE WILL NOT FORGET
POW/MIA
In
1971, Mrs. Mary Hoff, a MIA wife and member of
the
National
League of American Prisoners and Missing in
Southeast
Asia, recognized the need for a symbol of our
.......
"YOU
ARE NOT FORGOTTEN."
John
"Butch" Olson & ND Senator Kent
Conrad ~ Right ~
In
1971, Mrs. Mary Hoff, a MIA wife and member of the National
League of American Prisoners and Missing in Southeast Asia,
recognized the need for a symbol of our POW/MIA's.
Prompted by an article in the Jacksonville, Florida TIMES-UNION,
Mrs. Hoff contacted Norman Rivkees, Vice Pres. of Annin &
Company which made a banner for the newest member of the United
Nations, the People's
Republic
of China, as a part of their policy to provide flags to all
UN member nations. Mrs. Hoff found Mr. Rivkees very sympathetic
to the POW/MIA issue, and he, along with
Annin's
advertising agency, designed a flag to represent our missing
men. Following League approval, the flags were manufactured
for distribution. The flag is black, bearing in the center,
in black and white, the emblem of the League. The emblem is
a white disk bearing black silhouette the bust of a man, watch
tower with a guard holding a rifle, and a strand of barbed
wire; above the disk are the letters POW and MIA framing a
white 5 pointed star; below the disk is a black and white
wreath above the white motto
"YOU
ARE NOT FORGOTTEN."
Great Video (watch it all) Thank You
Defenders MC and Crew
Concerned
groups and individuals have altered the
original
POW/MIA Flag many times; the colors have been switched from
black with white - to red, white and blue, - to white and
black; the POW/MIA has at times been
revised
to MIA/POW. Such changes, however, are
insignificant.
The importance lies in the continued
visibility
of the symbol, a constant reminder of the plight of America's
POW/MIA's.
On
March 9, 1989, a POW/MIA Flag, which flew over the White House
on the 1988 National POW/MIA Recognition Day, was installed
in the United States Capitol Rotunda as a result of legislation
passed overwhelmingly during the 100th session of Congress.
The leadership of both Houses hosted the installation ceremony
in a demonstration of
bipartisan
congressional support. This POW/MIA Flag, the only flag displayed
in the United States Capitol Rotunda, stands as a powerful
symbol of our national commitment to our POW/MIA's until the
fullest possible accounting for Americans still missing in
Southeast Asia has been achieved.
On
August 10, 1990, the 101st Congress passes U.S.
Public
Law 101-355, which recognized the National League of Families
POW/MIA Flag and designated is "as a symbol of our Nation's
concern and commitment to resolving as fully as possible the
fates of Americans still prisoner, missing and unaccounted
for in southeast Asia, thus ending the
uncertainty
for their families and their Nation." Beyond Southeast
Asia, it has been a symbol for POW/MIA's from all American
wars.
The
importance of the National League of Families
POW/MIA
Flag lies in its continued visibility, a constant
reminder
of the plight of the POW/MIA's, other than "Old Glory",
the POW/MIA Flag is the only flag ever to fly over the White
House, having been displayed in the place of honor on POW/MIA
Recognition Day since 1982.
With
the passage of section 1082 of the 1998 Defense
Authorization
Act during the first term of the 105th
Congress,
the "POW/MIA Flag" will fly each year on:
Armed
Forces Day - (Third Saturday in May)
Memorial
Day - (Last Monday in May)
Flag
Day - June 14
Independence
Day - July 4
National
POW/MIA Recognition Day - September 19
Veterans
Day - November 11
The
POW/MIA Flag will be flown on the grounds or the
public
lobbies of major military installations as designated by the
Secretary of Defense, all Federal National
Cemeteries,
the National Korean War Memorial, the
National
Vietnam Veterans Memorial, the White House, the Untied States
Post Offices and at official offices of the
Secretaries
of State,
Defense
and Veterans Affairs & Dir. Of the Selective Service System.
