For veteran Patrick Hughes, the black-and-white image of a silhouette against a watchtower is more than a design.
It’s a reminder of those who never came home from the Vietnam War.
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The retired U.S. Marine Corps veteran and Vietnam War veteran recently stood before the Pennsbury School Board to propose the district put the POW/MIA flag on permanent display at the district’s schools.
“Displaying this flag is not a political statement,” Hughes said. “It is a humanitarian one that reflects commitment to never forget those who served and sacrificed and has reinforced the principle that every service member matters.”
Hughes, a participant in the Rolling Thunder veterans advocacy group, is leading the charge and was joined by fellow veterans. The group also came with Matt Allen, director of veterans affairs for Bucks County.
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The group’s goal is to bring the district in line with the spirit of Pennsylvania Act 81, which was passed in 2020. The act requires the flag to be flown at all state-owned or controlled properties where the U.S. flag is displayed.
Schools are not state-owned, but there has been an effort in Bucks County to get local governments, businesses, and county government to raise the flag. Several municipalities, businesses, and the county have accepted the request.
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Pennsbury High School lost 15 former students during the Vietnam War. Their lives were chronicled in Terry Nau’s 2015 book, “We Walked Right Into It: Pennsbury High and the Vietnam War.”
Hughes said that more than 80,000 U.S. service personnel remain missing since World War II, including 1,566 from the Vietnam War.
The POW/MIA flag design was born from the grief and worry of the families left behind. It was designed in 1970 after Mary Hoff, the wife of Lt. Cmdr. Michael Hoff, collaborated with artist Newt Heisley and the Annin Flag Company in New Jersey after her husband’s disappearance in Vietnam.
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Hughes shared a message from the late Mary Hoff, who passed away a few years ago.
“She left me a message saying, ‘I just hope that young people will notice the flag and learn about it,’” Hughes said. “It’s up to our schools to make that possible.”
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The legislative journey of the flag has moved from federal to local levels. In 2019, President Donald Trump signed the National POW/MIA Flag Act, which requires the flag to be flown daily at certain federal facilities.
“Once we got this legislation passed to fly the flag nationally at post offices, government buildings, we went after the states,” Hughes said.
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Allen, speaking on behalf of the county’s veterans, warned the school board in a lighthearted way that Vietnam veterans are known for persistence. He recalled one veteran who called him every single day until the flag was raised on county poles.
“This group is relentless and will do the same to you all,” Allen joked.
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Superintendent Dr. Thomas Smith and the school board expressed their gratitude to the veterans for the proposal and service to the nation.
“America’s veterans are the purchasers of peace,” Hughes said. “And every veteran has earned the right, the absolute right to come home.
