AP Newswire 28 APR 99

Sen. John McCain, a decorated Vietnam veteran who spent five years as a prisoner of war, spoke about a fellow prisoner severely beaten for hiding an American flag while in captivity and pulling it out daily for a secret recitation of the pledge of allegiance.

After the beating, the soldier stitched red, white, and blue pieces of cloth together again so he and his fellow prisoners could continue the ritual which held such meaning for them, McCain said.

"All of us are products of our experience in life, and that's my experience," McCain said. "American blood has been shed all over the world for the American flag...and I believe it deserves respect."