S-5156               _______________________________________________

                          SUBSTITUTE SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 8430

                        _______________________________________________

State of Washington                              50th Legislature                              1988 Regular Session

By Senate Committee on Governmental Operations (originally sponsored by Senators Talmadge, Owen, Conner, Bender, Pullen, Warnke, McDonald, Bauer, Metcalf and Rasmussen)

Read first time 2/25/88.

WHEREAS, More than two thousand four hundred Americans are currently missing or otherwise unaccounted for in Southeast Asia; and

          WHEREAS, Over eight thousand Americans are still listed as missing in action, of which almost four hundred are still listed as prisoners of war, from the Korean War; and

          WHEREAS, More than forty thousand Americans are still listed as missing in action from World War II; and

          WHEREAS, The state of Washington should express the appropriate recognition for those patriots who have been or remain missing in action or are prisoners of war; and

          WHEREAS, Vigilance must be pursued, both publicly and privately, to assure the safe return of any Americans still listed as missing in action or prisoners of war; and

          WHEREAS, It is important that the public be in continual awareness of the plight of those who remain captive abroad; and

          WHEREAS, It is appropriate that the display of the prisoner-of-war and missing-in-action flag be in conjunction with the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, insofar as the honor and integrity of the American soldier is exemplified by the efforts of the Vietnam Veteran in resolving of the POW-MIA issue;

          NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, By the Senate of the state of Washington, the House of Representatives concurring, That every city and town is encouraged to display the prisoner-of-war and missing-in-action flag on one or more of the existing flag poles in the city or town; and

          BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That it is further recommended that the 1982 dedicated Vietnam Veterans Memorial on the Capitol grounds be resurfaced and inscribed to include honor for those who have been or remain missing in action or are prisoners of war and that a flagstaff be erected adjacent to this memorial to fly the prisoner-of-war and missing-in-action flag on a permanent basis.