POW/MIA Flag Flying

Today we attended the ceremonial bill signing for the State of Arizona. This new law now requires that the POW/MIA Flag will be flown over state and county buildings, including supreme courthouses. This was an historic event for our State, we have now become the first State in the Union that now requires the POW/MIA Flag to be flown over all state and county buildings. Hopefully other states will soon follow suit.

For those of you who may not know, or may not know all the details, the POW/MIA stands for Prisoner of War / Missing in Action. On August 10, 1990 Congress passed a law that recognized the National League of Families POW/MIA flag and designated it "as the symbol of our Nation's concern and commitment to resolving as fully as possible the fates of Americans still prisoner, missing and unaccounted for in Southeast Asia, thus ending the uncertainty for their families and the Nation". One of the first pictures on this blog is of that particular flag.

In 1998 it was required that the POW/MIA flag be flown only six days each year; Armed Forces Day, Memorial Day, Flag Day, Independence Day, National POW/MIA Recognition Day and Veterans Day. Many choose to fly the flag more often, but there was not a requirement to do so, even if it was a special request. This current House Bill 2684 came about because one person requested that the POW/MIA flag be flown and was denied that request by a local city. He took his issue up with the House of Representatives and thus came about House Bill 2684.

This bill which was signed into law by our Governor Janice K. Brewer, now requires the display of the POW/MIA flag on the State Capitol Building, superior courthouses, city or town halls and the main administrative buildings of each county in a manner prescribed by federal law on any day when the United States flag is displayed. This flag will be flown below the Arizona State flag if it is on the same staff.

Granted this flag was originally created after the Vietnam War to remember those who were held prisoner or were never returned, but it has grown in popularity to embrace the POW/MIA's of all wars. So, we were very blessed to have been able to witness this historic event at our state's Capitol.

Governor Jan Brewer came out to witness the delivery of the new flags and to participate in saluting the flag as the National Anthem was sung by all. Once all the flags were flown, Governor Brewer addressed the crowd and explained her reasons for signing the bill. We then heard from Representative David Gowan on the development of the bill, and we heard from Tom McCanna (representing Senator John McCain a POW from the Vietnam War). We finally heard from Representative Jerry Weiers before Governor Jan Brewer signed House Bill 2684 into law.

I have a series of pictures from this event posted on Facebook, so you can check those out when you have time.

I am very proud to be part of Arizona, where the Governor will stand up and do what the majority of the legal residents in her state wishes her to do. Hopefully more states in this union will take heart and begin to follow what their legal residents want instead of following their own political motives. (I don't have any political opinions, do I?)

Until tomorrow...