Karl Malone guarantees POW/MIA recognition

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Mark Munsey
  • 15th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
HICKAM AIR FORCE BASE, Hawaii (AFPN) --  It is said that passionate people wear their hearts on their sleeves. For Los Angeles Lakers’ forward Karl Malone, he chooses to wear his on his shoe.

There are more than 88,000 Americans still unaccounted for in all conflicts. The Lakers could sell out every home game and be well into the sixth game of the season before the fans outnumber those prisoners of war or missing in action yet to be returned to U.S. soil.

Like many others, the idea of having unaccounted American military members greatly upsets the Lakers’ most seasoned veteran.

“I’ve had so many friends and family, like my grandfather, who served in the military, and it always reminds me of the American POW/MIAs,” Malone said.

And it always brings him back to the same discomforting thought, he said. “It seems like sometimes they are forgotten.”

Unlike others troubled by this idea, Malone set a plan in motion to do something about it.

His new sneaker is emblazoned with the POW/MIA emblem.

Every time the Lakers play on television, especially this summer when the U.S. national basketball team makes another Olympic gold medal run, the emblem will be front and center, he said.

“I have the POW/MIA flag everywhere. I fly it on my trucks,” said the 6-foot, 9-inch power forward. “When my new shoe deal was coming up, and they asked me about how I wanted it to look, I just thought having the flag on there was a good idea.”

It will not be a short-term design either, he said. The flag will remain a part of his uniform for the duration of his career.

“It’s just my way of saying thanks, both to those serving now as well as our POW/MIAs,” he said.