CHESHIRE, CT – In towns far and wide across the US, a black Prisoner of War/Missing in Action (POW/MIA) flag can be seen waving proudly, typically just under the Stars and Stripes.
It flies as a reminder of the thousands of Americans who are still considered missing or captured from World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and the Gulf Wars. According to the Department of Defense, more than 81,000 names still appear on that list.
Now, one Connecticut town has decided to take the POW flag down from all city properties except one. City resident and Marine veteran Matthew Bowman is leading the charge to change that.
Bowman, who served in Vietnam, takes it personally. He remembers how he and his fellow Marines were treated when they returned home from being captured as prisoners of war in Vietnam.
“Part of my duties as a Marine, unfortunately, were as a security detail for our returning POWs in North Vietnam,” Bowman told the Hartford Courant. “To say they weren’t treated well is an understatement. What they went through was crazy.”
The town changed its flag policy earlier this summer. They now prohibit flying any flags other than the U.S. flag, state flag, or town flag on town-owned property with a few exceptions.
The town does still allow for the POW/MIA flag to be flown on town property designated as a veteran memorial. According to Cheshire town councilmember Jim Jinks, the only flagpole meeting that criterion is the one in front of the town hall.
“The Department of Public Works, police, and fire departments have all flown the POW/MIA flag fairly regularly before, but because of this policy, the flags had to come down in those locations,” Jinks said.
The town has said it implemented its flag policy to protect against unnecessary lawsuits. They do not want to be sued for violating anyone’s First Amendment rights if they refuse requests to fly an organization’s flag.
The town has also banned the LGBTQ+ Pride flag from being flown on town-owned property, saying the town’s flagpoles are not intended to serve as a forum for free expression.
We spoke to Mackenzie Verdi, founder of Veteran Mortgage Solutions and a veteran of the Army Military Police, about this. Here is what he told us.
“Free expression? The POW/MIA flag isn’t a ‘freedom of expression thing.’ It is a ‘tens of thousands of Americans went away to fight a war and never came home’ thing. It is a ‘let’s remember and honor their sacrifice’ thing. Freedom of expression would covers flags that fly for a cause. The POW/MIA flag flies to remind us of the ones who helped secure that very freedom.”
The sentiment expressed by Verdi is the same as that voiced by Bowman, as well VFW Post 10052 commander Jeffrey Falk and American Legion Post 92 commander, Donald Falk.
“The first article of the code of conduct is I am an American fighting man and I serve in our forces which guard my country and our way of life,” Bowman said. “The most important word there is ‘our way of life.’ Not my way, not your way, but our way of life.”
“Removing the POW/MIA flag means you have forgotten what it stands for. The POW/MIA flag is a reminder for every American of the U.S. servicemember’s devotion to duty, sacrificing everything to keep our people and democracy safe, and the fates of over 81,000 who were never accounted for and remain missing in action. They are not, and never will be forgotten,” the Falk’s wrote in a joint statement.
It is also important to note that Cheshire didn’t pass an ordinance to govern the flag policy, they simply passed a resolution. As such, there was no public hearing to discuss the matter.
Bowman was joined by other veterans at the latest town hall meeting to address the issue during the public comment portion.
Their protests led to a statement from the council chairman.
“The council, nine of us, in no way intended to offend or abuse the dignity of the missing in action. What I will pledge to do is revisit this with a more fulsome understanding of where the expectations lay for their placement that doesn’t stray too far from what the intention of our policy was,” Tim Slocum said.
Bowman, pointing to decorated war veterans who served Cheshire after their military service was up, wants to see the flag poles in front of the Department of Public Works, the police department and the fire department designated as veteran memorials. He has even volunteered to head a fundraising effort to cover the cost of plaques at each location.
“The first police chief here in Cheshire, John McNamara, was a Silver Star Recipient from World War II,” Bowman told the Courant.
“So, I asked the town if we can name the flagpole in his honor and therefore, we would bypass this policy to fly the flag there. I would also like to fly a POW/MIA flag at the firehouse. Harvey Barnum Jr., a member of the fire department, was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor during Vietnam. Couldn’t we put a plaque for him there and fly the flag there?”
It flies as a reminder of the thousands of Americans who are still considered missing or captured from World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and the Gulf Wars. According to the Department of Defense, more than 81,000 names still appear on that list.
Now, one Connecticut town has decided to take the POW flag down from all city properties except one. City resident and Marine veteran Matthew Bowman is leading the charge to change that.
Bowman, who served in Vietnam, takes it personally. He remembers how he and his fellow Marines were treated when they returned home from being captured as prisoners of war in Vietnam.
“Part of my duties as a Marine, unfortunately, were as a security detail for our returning POWs in North Vietnam,” Bowman told the Hartford Courant. “To say they weren’t treated well is an understatement. What they went through was crazy.”
The town changed its flag policy earlier this summer. They now prohibit flying any flags other than the U.S. flag, state flag, or town flag on town-owned property with a few exceptions.
The town does still allow for the POW/MIA flag to be flown on town property designated as a veteran memorial. According to Cheshire town councilmember Jim Jinks, the only flagpole meeting that criterion is the one in front of the town hall.
“The Department of Public Works, police, and fire departments have all flown the POW/MIA flag fairly regularly before, but because of this policy, the flags had to come down in those locations,” Jinks said.
The town has said it implemented its flag policy to protect against unnecessary lawsuits. They do not want to be sued for violating anyone’s First Amendment rights if they refuse requests to fly an organization’s flag.
The town has also banned the LGBTQ+ Pride flag from being flown on town-owned property, saying the town’s flagpoles are not intended to serve as a forum for free expression.
We spoke to Mackenzie Verdi, founder of Veteran Mortgage Solutions and a veteran of the Army Military Police, about this. Here is what he told us.
“Free expression? The POW/MIA flag isn’t a ‘freedom of expression thing.’ It is a ‘tens of thousands of Americans went away to fight a war and never came home’ thing. It is a ‘let’s remember and honor their sacrifice’ thing. Freedom of expression would covers flags that fly for a cause. The POW/MIA flag flies to remind us of the ones who helped secure that very freedom.”
The sentiment expressed by Verdi is the same as that voiced by Bowman, as well VFW Post 10052 commander Jeffrey Falk and American Legion Post 92 commander, Donald Falk.
“The first article of the code of conduct is I am an American fighting man and I serve in our forces which guard my country and our way of life,” Bowman said. “The most important word there is ‘our way of life.’ Not my way, not your way, but our way of life.”
“Removing the POW/MIA flag means you have forgotten what it stands for. The POW/MIA flag is a reminder for every American of the U.S. servicemember’s devotion to duty, sacrificing everything to keep our people and democracy safe, and the fates of over 81,000 who were never accounted for and remain missing in action. They are not, and never will be forgotten,” the Falk’s wrote in a joint statement.
It is also important to note that Cheshire didn’t pass an ordinance to govern the flag policy, they simply passed a resolution. As such, there was no public hearing to discuss the matter.
Bowman was joined by other veterans at the latest town hall meeting to address the issue during the public comment portion.
Their protests led to a statement from the council chairman.
“The council, nine of us, in no way intended to offend or abuse the dignity of the missing in action. What I will pledge to do is revisit this with a more fulsome understanding of where the expectations lay for their placement that doesn’t stray too far from what the intention of our policy was,” Tim Slocum said.
Bowman, pointing to decorated war veterans who served Cheshire after their military service was up, wants to see the flag poles in front of the Department of Public Works, the police department and the fire department designated as veteran memorials. He has even volunteered to head a fundraising effort to cover the cost of plaques at each location.
“The first police chief here in Cheshire, John McNamara, was a Silver Star Recipient from World War II,” Bowman told the Courant.
“So, I asked the town if we can name the flagpole in his honor and therefore, we would bypass this policy to fly the flag there. I would also like to fly a POW/MIA flag at the firehouse. Harvey Barnum Jr., a member of the fire department, was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor during Vietnam. Couldn’t we put a plaque for him there and fly the flag there?”
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Comments
2023-10-18T19:36-0400 | Comment by: Robert
Anyone caught removing a POW Flag, should disappear with no questions asked. The Democrat Communist Criminal Terrorist Organization, only think they are in charge, DON'T POKE THE BEAR.
2023-10-18T20:47-0400 | Comment by: Edward
I was born and raised in Providence, Ri. When I graduated HS I joined the AF. I was stationed in several places. One of those places was in Big Spring, TX where I met and became friends with Capt. James B. White who happened to be the brother of astronaut Ed White who died on the launch pad when his rocket when on fire. After about a year in Big Spring Jim was sent to Thailand. I followed about 6 months later but although in the same country we were in different locations. On 11/24/1969 Jim flew out on a mission and never came back. He was not found and declared MIA. When I separated from the AF the first thing I did was obtain a MIA bracelet with Jim's name and information on it. I wore the bracelet every day and I displayed the POW/MIA ribbon on my car and my home. On 06/19/2018 I attended Jim's burial at West Point (next to his father and brother). His remains had been found in Laos. On the day of his burial I gave the POW/MIA bracelet to his wife Sharon whom I also knew and to his daughter whom I had never met. It was a sad day but at the same time I was proud that I had kept his bracelet and ribbon as a reminder every day. I no longer have the bracelet but I still have the POW/MIA ribbons and will continue to have them until they are all accounted for, or until I die. POW/MIA is not a society, a group, a club, etc. that you join. It is a reminder of the sacrifice that has been made by good men and women to help you, all of you, to keep the freedoms that you have. It has nothing to do with First Amendment Rights. It has to do with Pride and Thanksgiving and Loyalty.