The symbol of a constant reminder of the plight of America's POW-MIAs.
The idea of a symbol for POW-MIAs was initiated in 1970 by Mary Hoff, an MIA wife and member of the National League of American Prisoners and Missing in Southeast Asia felt a need for a symbol for our POW-MIAs. Graphic artist Newt Heisley, a World War II veteran who flew missions in the Pacific, was assigned to the task just at the time his son, Jeffrey, returned home ill from Marine training at Quantico. Jeffrey's gaunt appearance became the inspiration for the silhouette. Heisley wondered at the time how he would hold up if he had ever been captured and how easy it would be to forget those missing in action. The now familiar slogan, "You are not forgotten," was born of that sentiment. The symbol has been altered many times. The colors have switched from black with white ... to white with black ... to gold with black ... to red, white and blue. The importance lies not with the color changes but in the continued visibility of the symbol, a constant reminder of the plight of America's POW-MIAs. The symbol is now used on patches, pins, decals, and flags.
