Some see the flag of the United States as a symbol of freedom. Others associate it with justice. For Lieutenant Michael Christian, a prisoner of war (POW), the flag held significant importance and was not to be forgotten.

Lieutenant Michael Christian served as a bombardier/navigator in the Vietnam War. On April 24, 1967, enemy fire downed his plane, leading to his capture. Christian shared his imprisonment with the late Senator John McCain, who recounted their experiences at the 1988 Republican National Convention.

Senator McCain recalled that, over several months, Mike Christian fashioned a bamboo needle and gathered fabric scraps to sew a crude American flag inside his shirt. “Every afternoon, before we had a bowl of soup, we would hang Mike’s shirt on the wall of the cell and say the Pledge of Allegiance,” McCain recounted.

Despite struggling to see through swollen eyes, Christian immediately began sewing another American flag.

While opinions may vary on what the US flag represents, for many Americans, it stands as a poignant reminder of the cost of freedom.