AUGUSTA – The recent capture of two American soldiers in Iraq should underscore the importance of accounting for all missing service personnel, a Vietnam veteran said Monday after a State House observance of a new law to add recognition for America’s prisoners of war.

“We cannot and will not allow the public to forget,” Joe Armstrong of Sanford said after Gov. John Baldacci ceremonially signed a bill to require county courthouses to fly the Prisoner of War-Missing in Action flag on holidays such as the Fourth of July and Memorial Day.

The law, which was enacted by the Legislature earlier this year, also allows the counties to fly the black-and-white POW-MIA flag on any other day of their choosing where the American flag flies.

Armstrong, who helped to guide the bill through as a member of the Rolling Thunder veterans group that advocates for the cause, said Maine has 13 POWs from Vietnam and 34 from Korea, not to mention scores more from World War II.

Armstrong said Friday’s capture of two American soldiers during an attack on a road checkpoint south of Baghdad should help to strengthen the resolve to account for all POW-MIAs. U.S. troops searched for their comrades for a second day Monday.

An umbrella group that includes al-Qaida in Iraq claimed in a statement Monday that it had kidnapped the two soldiers.

Maine law already requires the POW-MIA banner to fly above the State House in Augusta and at each National Guard facility on patriotic holidays and on National POW-MIA Recognition Day, the third Friday in September.

The law adds state-owned counties to the list and also allows municipalities to display the POW-MIA flag where it displays the U.S. flag on any day.

“We’d like to see them fly it 24-7,” said Armstrong.

Armstrong said the bill was introduced after he asked that York County fly the POW flag. Armstrong said he was told that the law needed to be changed in order for the county to comply.