WE, your Memorialists, the Members of the One Hundred and Twenty-sixth Legislature of the State of Maine now assembled in the First Regular Session, most respectfully present and petition the President of the United States and the United States Congress as follows:

WHEREAS,  there are flags for all branches of the Armed Forces of the United States and there is a flag for prisoners of war and those missing in action, but there is no flag to honor the millions of former military personnel who have served our nation; and

WHEREAS,  a flag is a symbol of recognition for a group or an ideal, and veterans compose a group, certainly represent an ideal and surely deserve their own symbol; and

WHEREAS,  the estimated 20,400,000 veterans, affiliated and unaffiliated with veterans' organizations, who have served in our nation's military compose a significant portion of our nation's population; and

WHEREAS,  there is now a flag that has been designed and created to honor the veterans of the United States called the Veterans Remembered Flag, and displaying and flying a Veterans Remembered Flag would honor the lives of millions of individuals who have served our country in times of war, peace and national crisis; and

WHEREAS,  a Veterans Remembered Flag would memorialize and honor past, present and future veterans and provide an enduring symbol to support tomorrow's veterans today; and

WHEREAS,  displaying and flying a Veterans Remembered Flag would fill the need for a flag honoring all veterans who have served in our nation's armed forces; and

WHEREAS,  the symbolism of this unique flag's design would be all-inclusive, would pay respect to all branches of the military and to the history of our nation and would honor those who have lived, and died, serving our nation; and

WHEREAS,  the design of the flag honors the founding of our nation through the 13 stars that emanate from the hoist of the flag and lead to the large red star that represents our nation and the five branches of our nation's military, the Army, the Navy, the Air Force, the Marines and the Coast Guard; and

WHEREAS,  the white star on the flag symbolizes veterans' dedication to service, the blue star on the flag honors all the men and women who have served in our nation's military and the central gold star on the flag memorializes those who have fallen defending our nation; and

WHEREAS,  the blue stripe that bears the title of the flag honors the loyalty of veterans to our nation, flag and government, and the green field on the flag represents the hallowed ground where fallen veterans rest eternally; now, therefore, be it