With the passing of a man that most of the American people including me did not know whom he was or what he did. Mr. Newt Heisley passed away at age 88. Most of you are probably wondering why I am writing about him, and here is why. A sketch that he did in pencil in 1971 during the Vietnam War turned out to be an image that everyone knows, The POW/MIA flag. The flag has a silhouette of a gaunt man, a strand of barbed wire and a watchtower in it with the words POW/MIA “You are not forgotten” also is on the flag. In 1988 Congress mandated that the flag would be displayed at the White House, U.S. Capital, Military installations, and other federal building on national observances days that include the 4th of July, and Memorial Day. After a long bout with falling health, he passed last Thursday.
I hope that all my readers the next time they see a POW/MIA flag they stop and think about its true meaning “We will never forget”. For me being a soldier and knowing what it means to one day be called upon to pay the price of freedom, or be one of the ones being remembered by Mr. Heisley’s flag. It is not something that I want to do or be a part of, but it is a part of the job that our armed forces do and have to come to terms with one day. I know I ask a lot of the time to take a second and remember our troops but it is a very small thing that most of the armed forces both domestic and abroad appreciate. If you do not have time in your busy lives be sure to remember on days of national rememberence like the 4th of July. 1 more thing that has bugged me and now seems like a good time to say it. If you have kids make sure you take the time to educate them on what our military, flags, and other things of great importance to this nation, do not let them just learn it in school. I know for me it did not have the same meaning from my teachers as it did from my parents.
Ben
