POW MIA Polyester Flag 3'x5' (Red)

Our 3'x5' red and black polyester POW MIA flags are extra-tough and stand up to high winds. These flags are single-sided which means they read correctly on one side, while showing the reverse image on the other. Polyester is the best choice for coastal and extreme weather.

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More information on the POW MIA flag

The Prisoner Of War/Missing In Action symbol is one of the most distinguished designs in American history. It was formed to honor and give thanks for the brave men and women of the U.S. military who have been captured and held by enemy forces in the times of battle.

During the Vietnam War, Mary Hoff, a wife of a Missing In Action soldier and member of the National League of American Prisoners and Missing in Southeast Asia, decided that there was a great need for a symbol to honor the approximately 1,350 POW's and approximately 1,200 MIA soldiers who had been injured yet whose bodies had not been recovered. She contacted the Annin Flag company, who in return contacted Newton "Newt" Heisley, an artist in the National League of Families to help with the design.

Newton Heisley was a former pilot in World War II and father of Jeffrey Heisley, a Marine soldier who eventually went, fought, and returned home from Vietnam. At the time of design, Jeffrey had just returned home from Basic Training before his departure for Vietnam and had been suffering from a case of hepatitis, emaciating his body and face. At the sight of his son, Newton imagined what the POW's overseas must look like. Jeffrey became the silhouette for Newton’s design. He then added a watch tower and barbed wire to the background which were characteristics of the many prisoner camps during Vietnam.

For the slogan “You Are Not Forgotten”, Newton remembered the feeling he had as he was flying a mission over the Southeast Pacific during World War II and thought that he could end up being “taken prisoner and being… forgotten”. He designed the slogan to let soldiers know that despite their circumstances, they were not forgotten and the National League of Families would dedicate their mission to the rescue and return of these heroes.

Newton had originally drawn the design out with pencil only and was going to add in color later, presumably a deep purple, but by the time he could get back to add it in, Annin had already begun printing and distributing the white and black designed flags. The black and white logo stuck and became the official design of the National League of Families.

The POW MIA flag has intentionally never been copyrighted due to Newt’s belief that it is everyone’s flag. It was designed to give thanks to the many men and women we may never see, many we may never be able to give thanks to, many we will forever be grateful for. It acts as a symbol of hope for soldiers, a symbol of dedication for civilians, and a symbol of duty for our government.