President Donald Trump honored prisoners of war and soldiers missing in action, flying the POW/MIA flag above the White House on Wednesday.
The black flag with the silhouette of a soldier by a guard tower and barbed wire honors those soldiers that have not returned from war. The flag was adopted by the National League of Families in 1970.
A White House source cited the 1998 Defense Authorization Act as the reason for the flag placed above the president’s home on Wednesday, as Congress designated Flag Day as a day for the POW/MIA flag to be displayed. All war memorials, major military installations, the Pentagon, and the Capitol are expected to fly the flag on Flag day.
Trump issued a statement earlier today proclaiming June 14 as Flag Day.
“By honoring our flag, we pay due respect to the patriots and heroes who have laid down their lives in defense of the liberty it represents,” he wrote.
The president also said he was “blessed” to share his birthday with the national flag.
“I am blessed to have shared my birthday with the Star Spangled Banner and the U.S. Army for 71 years now,” his statement read. “Again, on Flag Day, I am deeply grateful to live under the red, white, and blue, and all for which it stands.”