Editor: Two Fridays ago, I watched as the new temporary Postmaster took down the POW-MIA flag from the post office flag pole during the middle of the day. The following Monday, I asked the Postmaster if the flag was going to be put back up. He said that Postal Regulations require it to be flown on 6 congressionally mandated holidays, and that he was surprised that it was still being flown in Cedar Key. I told him that the flag flies so we won`t forget our missing service members, living or dead, no matter which war they fought in. I was upset that anyone would direct that the POW-MIA be removed. Friends of mine never returned from Vietnam, 2300 service members are still missing. Granted most are dead, and their remains hidden. We all know that our government would likely hide the truth about any possible living POWs for unknown political reasons. When the USSR became separate nation states, paperwork from the Soviet regime accounted for un-named American POWs from World War II and Korea that died in slave labor camps in the 60s. The POW-MIA flag should fly in public view until all our missing are accounted for. We should not forget, and their families need closure. I called TV 20 News and asked if this was just happening in our town, or whether this was happening across America. Surely others have noticed the missing flags at the Post Offices. TV 20 called me the next morning and arranged to meet with me that afternoon. They asked if I could round up others who shared my opinion. I couldn`t find anyone in town who disagreed with me. I rounded up a few Veterans with vehement opinions, and we waited for the news man. He interviewed the new Postmaster first, and then took `pictures` of the missing POW-MIA flag at the Post Office. He then came to tell us that he had audio quotes from the regional director of the Post Office in Atlanta. The director said in an attempt at uniformity in the Post Office, that the POW-MIA flag would only fly at Post Offices on the 6 holidays mandated by Congress. He was sorry if `they` had not better informed the public. Mr. Green did our talking on TV. He was very clear and to the point. We could not have chosen a better spokesperson. But, we cannot let it end here.
Our Postmaster was only following orders; I am sorry for any inconvenience I may have caused him. Heath Davis told me that he was going to ask that the Mayor to write a letter to our congressional Representative, Ginny Brown-Waite, asking that our flag be flown everyday at the Post Office, as it has for years. I told him that it probably won`t work, but of course, it was worth a try. It was suggested that if we can`t get the Post Office to agree with our wishes, that the City flag pole be used. The Cedar Key monument to fallen service members is located just a few feet from its base. What a fitting place for the POW-MIA flag to fly again.
Did you know that there are currently 34 people in our zip code who are currently serving in the armed forces? Many from here have died in previous and current wars; many times more than our share. We even have a World War II veteran who was a POW in Germany. How can we, as a community forget the sacrifices made in our behalf? I`m writing this in hopes that City Council will elect to fly the POW-MIA everyday above the memorial. I`ll donate the flag. Let`s fly the POW-MIA flag at City Hall, no matter what the Post Office does, or doesn`t do! Let`s do it soon! Wayne Watson
Cedar Key, FL | 