Charles E. Shelton - Forget Them Not

Forget Them Not - Black Flag For Freedom
Sept. 24, 2002

With a few quick flashes from a hand mirror, downed Airman Frank Gould turned the last light of a jungle sunset into a signal.

Drawn to this sparkle in the gathering darkness, Gould’s would-be rescuers came close enough to hear his cries for help before their helicopter was driven back by nightfall. The fading signal of his emergency beeper followed them into the black sky over Vietnam.

A ground search and rescue team found Gould’s helmet and parachute the next morning, and you’ll find his name etched into the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall, but is Gould really dead?

Depends on who you ask.

The government closed the book on American prisoners of war and servicemen still missing in Vietnam back in September of 1994, when the last POW, Charles Shelton, was declared dead.

Saying nobody could survive the wretched captivity, starvation diet and torture the Vietnamese imposed upon their prisoners, the government changed the status designations of all POWs and MIAs to KIA — Killed In Action.

But Gould was seen alive a full two decades after falling behind enemy lines. The MIA airman was the subject of live-sightings in Vietnam up until the early 1990s.

And for the sake of men who may still be alive, but were long ago declared dead and now may be trapped somewhere between, City Councilmen Marty Golden and James Oddo are spearheading a drive to have the POW-MIA flag flown over every city park, ballfield and public place that flies the American flag.

“We tend to be invigorated, passionate and particularly mindful of these sacrifices only when certain images flash across the silver screen,” Oddo said. “However, just as the American flag serves as a symbol of the liberties we possess, so too does the POW-MIA flag serve as a constant reminder of the true guardians who gave their lives and freedoms for our own — our missing heroes.”

“In a time when our nation faces a war of terrorism, it is paramount that we require our city to fly both the POW-MIA and the American flags to ensure for residents, tourists — and especially veterans — that the sacrifices made throughout our history are never forgotten,” Golden said.

Back in 1999, Golden and Oddo succeeded in having the city Parks Department fly the POW-MIA flag over most parks. But now, they want the law expanded to cover all public places that embody the spirit of the nation.

“For our veterans who lost, or have yet to find, a combat friend, our flag must be there,” Golden said.

Will flying these flags bring the POWs home?

That all depends. Will these black banners fluttering over playgrounds be seen as ordinary flags? Or can the nameless silhouettes being unfurled this week over Brooklyn still convey the same desperate signal for help as a downed airman flashing a hand mirror in the dying light of the sun?