A member of a local Prisoner of War/Missing in Action advocacy group believes that if people don’t recognize and remember America’s lost soldiers, the country will lose a significant part of its history.

Henry Yandle, a member of Rolling Thunder Inc., asked the Lauderdale County Board of Supervisors last week to consider flying the black POW/MIA flag over the courthouse during certain national holidays.

On Monday, supervisors unanimously approved the motion at their semimonthly meeting.

A similar bill, introduced by state Sen. Videt Carmichael, R-Meridian, passed the Legislature earlier this year. Senate Bill 2432 calls for the flag to be flown on Armed Forces Day, Memorial Day, Flag Day, Independence Day, National POW/MIA Recognition Day and Veterans Day.

“It’s hard to describe how I feel,” Yandle said. “It’s almost like Christmas. So many people have been left behind that don’t have a voice. We have to keep their memory alive.”

Yandle said he will have the black flag in time to fly it the week of Flag Day on June 14. Yandle said the city of Meridian also has agreed to fly the flag on certain holidays.

In other business Monday, supervisors decided not to change an order placed earlier this year for a four-door fire truck for the Martin Volunteer Fire Department. Volunteer Fire Coordinator Clarence Butler said the company would charge the county $27,000 to change from a four-door to a two-door truck.

Lauderdale County Sheriff Billy Sollie was approved to spend $12,191 on 31 Stinger Spike Systems — spike strips laid across roadways to deflate the tires of a person trying to elude law enforcement officers, usually during a chase. The spikes will be paid for out of seized funds.

The board also approved a motion to advertise for two new garbage trucks for the county. County Engineer Neal Carson said he hopes the trucks will be delivered by the end of the year.