U.S. Flag Forever Stamps 2019

Value: 78¢ 1-ounce First-Class Rate (Forever)
Issue Date: January 27, 2019
First Day City: Kansas City, MO
Printed by: Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd. (APU)
Printing Method: Offset, Microprint
Format: Double-sided booklet of 20

To many, the American flag symbolizes freedom and justice. For Lieutenant Michael Christian, a Vietnam War prisoner of war (POW), it carried an even deeper meaning—a reminder of hope and unity in the darkest of times.

Christian served as a bombardier/navigator before being shot down and captured on April 24, 1967. He shared a prison cell with the late Senator John McCain, who later recounted their experience at the 1988 Republican National Convention. Over months of captivity, Christian crafted a crude American flag, fashioning a bamboo needle and gathering scraps of cloth to sew it inside his shirt. Each day, before their meager meal, the prisoners would hang Christian’s shirt on the cell wall and recite the Pledge of Allegiance—a powerful act of defiance and patriotism.

Even after being beaten for possessing the flag, Christian, eyes swollen shut, began sewing another one. His story endures as a profound reminder of the sacrifices made for freedom, and the enduring strength of the ideals the U.S. flag represents.