Everyday at Highline, students and faculty of virtually every background work side-by-side, each benefitting from one another’s own character and sacrifice. Each student eventually finds themself at one of the many spots on campus marked with the US and POW MIA flag, maybe feeling the shade pass over them, and often not registering the full meaning behind what it represents. 

While the US flag is self-explanatory, many students may have more of a vague notion regarding the latter, which is meant to honor Prisoners of War/Missing in Action (POW MIA). It started at the heart of the experience of loss, originally proposed by Mrs. Michael Hoff, a widow of a missing military officer during the Vietnam War.

A conversation with Kendall Evans, Highline’s Veteran Resources Specialist, gave a powerfully vulnerable account for what the POW MIA flag represents for veterans and their families, with special attention paid to those lost from suicide. He also provided context to the storied history of the flag, and how it didn’t always have the same acceptance since its genesis.

The earliest renditions of the POW MIA flag were often seen as hateful, largely due to the complicated history of the Vietnam War. As the years went on, the National League of Families continued to support the flag’s role in honoring those who passed. By 1982, it was officially raised for the first time in front of the White House. Fast forward to present day, Evans is among the countless veterans who carry the torch in remembrance. He went on to explain his own personal ties to POW MIA.

“When I see the POW MIA flag, it reminds me that not all brothers and sisters have made it back home. That some of them were captured on foreign soil – some of them died on foreign soil, and we bear the responsibility of honoring them,” said Evans. 

Like any sacrifice, that responsibility is taken up by veterans working side-by-side, maintaining their hard-fought camaraderie as they continue their careers at Highline. Students past and present joined in with Evans on May 22 to plant 18 individual flags in 18 different spots on campus to honor the 18 lives lost among veterans due to suicide.

Student veterans Summin Park (Army), Donnell Morris (National Guard), Kenneth Johnson (Army), and Jordyn Ceplina (Navy) met at the Veterans Resources office this past Thursday at 9 a.m. to start the flag planting. 

Evans made a point to highlight how that number recently dropped from 22 since the VA’s 2024 annual report. “It is our job to continue honoring those [veterans] who have returned with wounds not everyone can see. We’ve got to be there for each other, and it’s promising to see that the number is dropping. It just means we have to keep going,” he said.

As Highline’s veterans continue to lead the charge in promoting mental health and camaraderie, the silver lining continues to brighten each Memorial Day. 

Today, Highline’s Veterans Resource Office continues to extend their hand to any struggling veterans who need it. For those struggling out of arm’s reach, the Veterans Crisis line information is listed below:

Veterans Crisis Line – Dial 998 then press 1