POW MIA Flags are a somber reminder that 83,165 American servicemen and women have been unaccounted for since the Vietnam War. The black-and-white flag depicts a prisoner of war or missing in action surrounded by a shred of barbed wire and a menacing guard tower above the words “You Are Not Forgotten.” It was designed by Newt Heisley, a World War II pilot who also worked as a graphic designer for a national advertising agency. Heisley died in 2009 at the age of 88.URL :ultimateflags.com

The League of Families of American Prisoners of War and Missing in Southeast Asia, which has become more commonly known by its shorter name, introduced the black-and-white flag to the public in early 1972. It has been widely adopted, with most Department of Veterans Affairs medical centers and many other government buildings displaying it. It is flown directly below, and no larger than, the United States flag.

POW-MIA Flags: Honoring the Sacrifice and Service of the Missing

Congressman Chris Pappas, who represents parts of Fairfield County, is pushing to have all federal properties, including the White House, prominently display the POW/MIA flag by legislation he introduced, fought to pass and which was signed by President Trump last year.

In addition to military installations and other government buildings, the POW/MIA flag can be seen at Andersonville National Historic Site, where more than 30,000 Civil War Union prisoners were held. In Connecticut, it’s displayed at state office buildings and on the memorial to those from the state who died in the Vietnam War.