Flag Tips and Guides — POW flag

The POW/MIA flag originated during the Vietnam War as a symbol honoring American service members who were prisoners of war (POW) or missing in action (MIA). The flag was designed in 1971 by Newt Heisley, a commercial artist from New Jersey. Heisley created the design at the request of Mary Hoff, whose husband, Navy pilot Michael Hoff, was missing in action in Vietnam. The design featured a white disc containing the silhouette of a man's head, a watchtower, and barbed wire, along with the words “YOU ARE NOT FORGOTTEN.” The flag quickly became a powerful symbol of the Vietnam-era effort...