The battle of City Hall
Posted on 19 July 2007 at 11:38 in General News
Re-enforcement swings issue of daily POW flag
Jeff Wright jwright@themercury.com
A strong show of support from past and present military men at City Hall
Tuesday convinced a majority of commissioners that the city should fly the
Prisoner of War (POW)/Missing in Action (MIA) flag below its American flag.
By a 3-2 vote, the commission agreed to fly the flag daily. It took
wrangling between the veterans and at least one commissioner before that
consensus was reached.
"All we're asking is, give respect to the people who are still not here ...
let the families know that we will not forget their loved ones," said Walt
Gatsche, commander of VFW Post 1786. "If you fly that flag, you'll get more
respect from Ft. Riley and the soldiers coming home from Iraq," he added.
Gatsche said the VFW would furnish the city with a POW flag and replace it
when needed.
The POW flag features the black and white silhouette of a gaunt soldier, a
strand of barbed wire and a watchtower. At the bottom reads, "You are not
forgotten."
The federal government recommends flying the flag six days a year, including
Memorial Day and Veterans Day, but Doug Beauchamp, commander of American
Legion Post 17, said, "I don't think that's enough. The POWs are in
captivity every day of the year."
Dee Robert Ross, also a war veteran, said the city should fly the POW/MIA
flag 24/7, "so the city can show the maximum respect and honor ... these
people have sacrificed so much so all of us can call ourselves free
Americans." Ross said flying the flag fewer than 365 days a year would be a
sign of disrespect "to all military personnel both active and retired."
Bill Reece, a Vietnam veteran, said since WWI about 92,500 service men have
been given POW/MIA status. Reece told the commissioners that the POW flag is
a "dual-purpose" flag that symbolizes servicemen missing in action from all
wars. He supported flying it every day.
Commissioner Bob Strawn, even though he served in Vietnam and his father and
grandfather fought in wars, wasn't sold on the idea at first.
"We are all gathered as a band of warriors," Strawn said, but "I fear being
separated from my father and my father's father, over a flag that is tied to
Vietnam."
The question in Strawn's mind was, "Does this black POW/MIA flag separate us
from those seven stripes (American flag), or do they gather us together?"
If a new kind of flag was to be flown at City Hall, Strawn thought it should
be the Big Red 1 flag. "In my view, that ought to be the flag that's
flying," he said.
Strawn wanted a "current view" of the POW/MIA flag, from a current member of
the military. That statement frustrated Gatsche, who said he represented 600
VFW members in Riley County from various wars. "I have never heard a
negative about this flag," he said. "We've already talked to those people,
and they are for it."
"I'm one of you," Strawn declared in defense. "I got my ass shot off, too."
Reece pointed out that the POW flag was never copyrighted and "was never
created to just cover that era," referring to Vietnam. "This is an
international symbol for all POWs."
Strawn finally got what he was looking for when Anthony Hemard stood up from
his seat in the commission chambers. He'd just driven to City Hall, after
having watched the commission meeting on TV, he said later.
"I told my family, I'm getting in the truck and going down there," Hemard
said. "I wanted to be that military representative."
Hemard had just returned from his second deployment in Kuwait as a member of
the Kansas Army National Guard, he said.
Hemard said the POW flag, from his perspective, represents the soldiers
"currently in the theater ... that flag represents every generation, not
just one. Today's soldiers are here with you guys," he told those war
veterans who spoke.
"I've always thought that flying the American flag showed respect for
American veterans," commented commissioner Mark Hatesohl, who said he was
less concerned about when the flag should fly, and more concerned that
people not have the attitude, "we put the flag up, so now we're done; symbol
over substance." He, Phillips and eventually Strawn provided the three votes
to fly the flag daily. Phillips and Strawn both cited the passion expressed
Tuesday as decisive factors.
Commissioners Bruce Snead and Jim Sherow voted against flying the POW/MIA
flag year-round. Snead was OK with the flag concept, but thought six days a
year was sufficient. Sherow, who teaches American History at K-State and
served in the U.S. Air Force, said "the highest form of respect is through
the American flag - it binds us all. I think this form of flag (POW/MIA)
should not symbolize the sacrifice that the American flag represents, on a
24/7 basis."
Jeff Wright jwright@themercury.com
A strong show of support from past and present military men at City Hall
Tuesday convinced a majority of commissioners that the city should fly the
Prisoner of War (POW)/Missing in Action (MIA) flag below its American flag.
By a 3-2 vote, the commission agreed to fly the flag daily. It took
wrangling between the veterans and at least one commissioner before that
consensus was reached.
"All we're asking is, give respect to the people who are still not here ...
let the families know that we will not forget their loved ones," said Walt
Gatsche, commander of VFW Post 1786. "If you fly that flag, you'll get more
respect from Ft. Riley and the soldiers coming home from Iraq," he added.
Gatsche said the VFW would furnish the city with a POW flag and replace it
when needed.
The POW flag features the black and white silhouette of a gaunt soldier, a
strand of barbed wire and a watchtower. At the bottom reads, "You are not
forgotten."
The federal government recommends flying the flag six days a year, including
Memorial Day and Veterans Day, but Doug Beauchamp, commander of American
Legion Post 17, said, "I don't think that's enough. The POWs are in
captivity every day of the year."
Dee Robert Ross, also a war veteran, said the city should fly the POW/MIA
flag 24/7, "so the city can show the maximum respect and honor ... these
people have sacrificed so much so all of us can call ourselves free
Americans." Ross said flying the flag fewer than 365 days a year would be a
sign of disrespect "to all military personnel both active and retired."
Bill Reece, a Vietnam veteran, said since WWI about 92,500 service men have
been given POW/MIA status. Reece told the commissioners that the POW flag is
a "dual-purpose" flag that symbolizes servicemen missing in action from all
wars. He supported flying it every day.
Commissioner Bob Strawn, even though he served in Vietnam and his father and
grandfather fought in wars, wasn't sold on the idea at first.
"We are all gathered as a band of warriors," Strawn said, but "I fear being
separated from my father and my father's father, over a flag that is tied to
Vietnam."
The question in Strawn's mind was, "Does this black POW/MIA flag separate us
from those seven stripes (American flag), or do they gather us together?"
If a new kind of flag was to be flown at City Hall, Strawn thought it should
be the Big Red 1 flag. "In my view, that ought to be the flag that's
flying," he said.
Strawn wanted a "current view" of the POW/MIA flag, from a current member of
the military. That statement frustrated Gatsche, who said he represented 600
VFW members in Riley County from various wars. "I have never heard a
negative about this flag," he said. "We've already talked to those people,
and they are for it."
"I'm one of you," Strawn declared in defense. "I got my ass shot off, too."
Reece pointed out that the POW flag was never copyrighted and "was never
created to just cover that era," referring to Vietnam. "This is an
international symbol for all POWs."
Strawn finally got what he was looking for when Anthony Hemard stood up from
his seat in the commission chambers. He'd just driven to City Hall, after
having watched the commission meeting on TV, he said later.
"I told my family, I'm getting in the truck and going down there," Hemard
said. "I wanted to be that military representative."
Hemard had just returned from his second deployment in Kuwait as a member of
the Kansas Army National Guard, he said.
Hemard said the POW flag, from his perspective, represents the soldiers
"currently in the theater ... that flag represents every generation, not
just one. Today's soldiers are here with you guys," he told those war
veterans who spoke.
"I've always thought that flying the American flag showed respect for
American veterans," commented commissioner Mark Hatesohl, who said he was
less concerned about when the flag should fly, and more concerned that
people not have the attitude, "we put the flag up, so now we're done; symbol
over substance." He, Phillips and eventually Strawn provided the three votes
to fly the flag daily. Phillips and Strawn both cited the passion expressed
Tuesday as decisive factors.
Commissioners Bruce Snead and Jim Sherow voted against flying the POW/MIA
flag year-round. Snead was OK with the flag concept, but thought six days a
year was sufficient. Sherow, who teaches American History at K-State and
served in the U.S. Air Force, said "the highest form of respect is through
the American flag - it binds us all. I think this form of flag (POW/MIA)
should not symbolize the sacrifice that the American flag represents, on a
24/7 basis."
1 comments :: post a comment ::
link
