Have you ever wondered how the inspiration of these black and white POW-MIA flags originated?



I found the history behind these flags to be very interesting also symbolizing a powerful message. This silhouette flag of a bowed head set against a guard tower with a single strand of barbed wire serves as a national symbol and a challenge to our country to never forget our imprisoned and missing soldiers fighting for our country.

The POW-MIA flags origin was in 1971, at the height of the Vietnam War. Mrs. Mary Huff, an MIA wife and member of the National League of American Prisoners and Missing in Southeast Asia, felt a strong need to create a flag that would garner more attention to their cause. She turned to the nation's largest flag manufacturer, Annin & Co., who contracted with graphic designer Newt Heisley. The job came just as Heisley's son Jeffrey returned home ill after Marine training at Quantico, Virginia. Jeffrey's gaunt appearance became the inspiration for the silhouette. Heisley, himself a World War II veteran who flew missions in the Pacific, realized how easy it is to forget our soldiers. The flag's now familiar slogan, ?You are not forgotten,? was born of that sentiment.

In addition to POW-MIA flags, political party flags are also very popular and have been more or so popular this year due to the November 2008 elections. The two most popular political party flags are the Republican Party which has a picture of an elephant and the Democratic Party which has a picture of a donkey.

There are countless types of flags displaying different type of messages from Christian flags to rainbow flags. If you are looking for a particular flag or need to customize a flag, I went through www.colorfastflags.com which was very helpful when I purchased my small flags.