U.S. Sen. Maggie Hassan

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Tom Cotton (R-AR), and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) are calling on President Joe Biden to return the POW/MIA flag to its place atop the White House, with the American flag, which is required by the Senators’ National POW/MIA Flag Act that became law in November 2019.

“We write to request that you restore the POW/MIA flag to its rightful place atop the White House,” wrote the Senators. “As you may be aware, last year the POW/MIA flag was removed from atop the residence and placed in a memorial on the White House Grounds during a Memorial Day event. The flag was never returned to its rightful place following that event. We ask you to ensure that the White House displays the POW/MIA flag in accordance with federal law to appropriately honor all American prisoners of war and missing service members.”

The Senators also shared their support for the new permanent POW/MIA memorial at the White House. They wrote, “The welcome addition of such a memorial does not prevent any administration from also flying the POW/MIA flag with the American flag atop the White House, in the spirit of the National POW/MIA Flag Act.”

The Senators stated, “This issue is critically important to veterans and other Americans who care deeply about the POW/MIA flag as a sign that we will never forget about the thousands of American service members who are still far from home against their will.”

The Senators’ effort is supported by numerous New Hampshire veterans groups.

“As President of the NE POW/MIA Network, I’d like to thank Senator Hassan for her continued efforts to ensure the POW/MIA Flag is restored to its rightful position atop the White House. The POW/MIA flag, a symbol which means so much to so many, is not a partisan issue. It is and always has been an American issue. This is simply the right thing to do,” said Robert Jones, Northeast POW/MIA Network President and Vietnam Veteran.

The Northeast POW/MIA Network; NH VFW (Veterans of Foreign Wars); Colonel Edward Cross Chapter, the NH Chapter of AUSA; Rolling Thunder ® Inc. Chapter One NH; and Vietnam Veterans of America New Hampshire also issued a joint statement of support: “Prisoners of war and those who are missing in action are some of our country’s greatest heroes. They and their families sacrificed so much for our country, and we have a responsibility to remember them. Senator Hassan and her fellow Members of Congress came together to help honor and pay tribute to these brave individuals by requiring that the POW/MIA Flag flies with the American Flag at prominent federal buildings. It was unacceptable that the Trump administration didn’t follow through on flying the POW/MIA Flag with the American Flag at the White House for our country and the world to see. We appreciate and echo Senator Hassan’s call to President Biden to return the POW/MIA Flag to its rightful place atop the White House.”

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