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Honoring the flag: Military history commended at Frisco event
Rep. Johnson presents Frisco Heritage Center Coordinator Pete Hosp with a prisoner of war bracelet for the museum’s new military history exhibit. Photo by Monica Garza.
By Anthony Tosie, atosie@starlocalnews.com
On June 14, 1777, the United States of America officially adopted its first flag as a united nation. While the holiday isn't as widely known as many other American traditions, it's one that has a deep meaning for all U.S. citizens.
Rep. Sam Johnson, a 29-year military veteran and former prisoner of war, co-hosted Frisco Flag Day with the Frisco Heritage Museum on Thursday. At the event, the congressman explained the significance of the flag and provided a key piece of his military history, a prisoner of war bracelet, for the opening of the museum's new military history exhibit.
For Johnson, the United States flag represents more than just the symbol of a country -- it represents all those who have defended the country.
During the Vietnam War, Johnson's plane was shot down over North Vietnam; he was then held as a prisoner of war at the infamous "Hanoi Hilton" prison for seven years. Even in enemy hands, Johnson and fellow prisoners of war honored the U.S. flag, no matter the physical harm their captors inflicted upon them for doing so.
"Mike [Christian, a fellow prisoner of war] collected bits of twine and colored paper, used a strip of bamboo as a needle to stitch an American flag and sewed it in his prison shirt so it'd be close to his heart and hidden from the enemy," Johnson said. "The guard caught him one day [and] he was beaten and tortured...two days later, in the middle of the night, he was in the corner pulling more thread through his shirt and sewing another flag."
Johnson made his own contribution to the museum's new military history exhibit by providing a prisoner of war bracelet featuring an engraving of his name. Prisoner of war bracelets were distributed in the late 1960s by the National League of Families, an organization Johnson's wife, Shirley, helped found. The bracelets were a way to draw international attention to the inhumane treatment of prisoners of the Vietnam War.
After returning home in 1973, Johnson started receiving thousands of bracelets from individuals all over the country -- to this day he still receives some of these bracelets from time to time, he said.
"People wore the bracelets bearing the name of POWs as a reminder to pray for the person in captivity," Johnson explained. "Today I'm going to contribute one of my bracelets that was worn by an anonymous American during my years in captivity -- and I appreciate the opportunity to share [this] with the community."
In addition to donating his prisoner of war bracelet, Johnson honored the museum by recognizing it and the Collin County Farm Museum's participation in the Blue Star Museums program. The program offers retired and active duty military personnel and their families free admission to participating museums and exhibits from Memorial Day to Labor Day.
The congressman presented a congressional record to both the museums. Each museum was also presented with an American flag that was flown over the United States Capitol.
Following the Flag Day ceremonies, Johnson presented a Navy Commendation Medal to Lee Myrben, a U.S. Navy veteran who has also been awarded 15 other medals. The Navy Commendation Medal is awarded to soldiers who distinguish themselves through "heroism, meritorious achievement or meritorious service."
For more information about the Frisco Heritage Museum and its new military history exhibit, visit its website at www.friscomuseum.com.
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