The Maryland Department of General Services raised its POW/MIA flag on Monday morning.
This comes after a law that was recently passed, mandating the POW/MIA flag must be on all grounds of all state buildings wherever the U.S. flag is flown.
"We must always remember those who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces," said DGS Secretary Ellington Churchill. "Flying the POW/MIA flag with the U.S. flag honors service members who were prisoners of war (POW), service members missing in action (MIA), and their families and reminds us of the American values for which they fought."
POW flag raising ceremony in Annapolis w/ Lt. Gov. Rutherford to honor and remember service members who were POW's or MIA. @ABC2NEWS pic.twitter.com/temqLS7r6q
— Paul Jaffey (@PaulFromABC2) October 2, 2017
There are seven buildings in Annapolis with the flags:
- Hall of Records (MD State Archives)
- Lowe House Office Building
- Robert F. Sweeney District Court building
- J. Millard Tawes State Office building
- Louis L. Goldstein Treasury building
- 100 Community Place (Crownsville)
- 50 Community Place (Crownsville).
In Baltimore City, there are four buildings that will now have the flags:
- State Center (301 W. Preston Street)
- 2100 Guildford Avenue State Office Building
- Jessup State Complex
- Nancy S. Grasmick State Education building
There are also a number of multi-service centers across the state in areas such as Bel Air, Catonsville, Centreville, Denton, Ellicott City, Elkton, Essex, Glen Burnie, Hagerstown, Prince Frederick, Salisbury, Silver Spring, South Baltimore, Wabash, and Westminster.
The law excludes the State House or a state building that is historic, or has a flagpole attached to the building and is structurally unable to withstand additional flags.