Remember and say a prayer for our POW/MIAs
The writer is a retired Army sergeant major.
I still can't believe, in this day and age, that young and old, a lot of Americans still don't know what POW/MIA stands for (Prisoner of War/Missing in Action), or what the POW/MIA flag represents.
With POW/MIA Recognition Day coming Friday, it's my hope that people will start to take notice and reflect on its meaning. For those of your readers who don't know what it's about, please allow me to share some information with them.
It began in 1971 when Mrs. Michael Hoff, the wife of a missing soldier from the Vietnam War, recognized the need for a symbol (for) our POW/MIAs. From there the idea was brought to a company who designed flags. Then the black-and-white silhouetted image of a prisoner encased in barbed wire with a looming guard tower was born.
On Aug. 10, 1990, the 101st Congress passed U.S. Public Law 101-355, recognizing the POW/MIA flag "as the 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 the Nation."
The flag, of course, has no boundaries. It represents prisoners of war and missing in action service personnel from all wars. It represents Sgt. Matt Maupin, declared missing after an April 9, 2004 convoy attack near Baghdad. Sadly, many people don't even know we have a POW from the present war.
We may not all agree on whether the war in Iraq and Afghanistan is right or wrong, but we should all take a moment Friday to say a prayer for Sgt. Maupin and for thousands of others who remain unaccounted for from all past wars.
I can only hope that this letter will touch a few hearts, and that the next time they see a POW/MIA flag or symbol they will remember its meaning, say a prayer for them and for their families, who endure many challenges and heartaches.
We should be grateful for their sacrifices and bravery.
God bless America, and Godspeed our POWs home.
David Tilley
Kannapolis
Charlotte