TIMES UNION REPORTS – Sept. 11 will mark the 20th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on America.
To help mark that milestone, American Legion Post 49 is encouraging a special flag to be flown throughout September.
Warsaw-Wayne Fire Territory Chief Mike Wilson told the Board of Public Works and Safety Friday that the Legion came to him and Police Chief Scott Whitaker “in reference to, there’s a new flag, that during the month of September, is called the ‘We’ll Never Forget’ flag. I don’t know if you’ve seen any advertisements or read any news articles about it. We have them at the fire station”
He continued, “What the commander of the American Legion Post here in Warsaw is asking is that we, for the month of September, that for those fire, police and first responders and service members, that the flag be flown with the American flag,” Wilson said.
He said the flag is professionally done. He asked the Board of Works for permission to fly the flag in place of the Indiana state flag.
Two years ago, the fire station added a spot under the American flag for the state flag. The fire department flies the state flag “off and on” with the American flag. Wilson said they told the Legion they would check with the Board of Works on flying the special flag.
Mayor Joe Thallemer said, “I think, obviously, in respect to the 20th anniversary of 9/11, it certainly makes sense. The only question or comment I’ve got is, I don’t know that we would necessarily suggest that it be flown in place of the Indiana flag. It could be. But, I also think it could be flown separately.”
Wilson said they looked at the height of the flag pole at station 2 because all of the fire and police stations have a single pole.
“It’s brought us to discussion, Chief Whitaker and I, about adding different poles to be able to do this on special occasions,” Wilson said. “Like, there’s a law enforcement flag, there’s a firefighters flag, there’s an emergency services flag and every once in a while, you’ll get a new request like this.”
He looked at the flag pole at station 2. If they added two more connectors, Wilson said the flag would be “pretty low on the pole.” Station 3’s pole “probably would work,” but Wilson wasn’t sure about the pole at Station 1 downtown.
Thallemer asked if they had the capability of flying a second flag at City Hall. Wilson said he didn’t believe there were second connectors at City Hall to fly a second flag.
On flying the special flag in September, Thallemer said, “I certainly don’t see any problem doing that. I think, logistically, it’s going to have to go by what you have facility-wise, if you can add the pole, if you can add extra connectors. He said it was his opinion that it would be up to the discretion of the facility and its capability, whether that’s adding another pole or adding connectors.
Thallemer said there was probably protocol for flying the flags, and Wilson said there was.
“Getting another flag pole, establishing a location like ours – all of ours are set in concrete. So adding one, offset of it, shorter, is what the protocol would be, could be done right away. And we’re looking at probably changing some stuff at the police department to be able to accommodate three poles. That’s something we talked about, too,” Wilson said.
Thallemer suggested they follow protocol. “I don’t want to make a decision on whose flag flies above or instead of whose flag,” he said, but the state flag should be considered when they look at protocol and make a determination.
Protocol requires that if a state flag is flown on the same pole as the American flag, the state flag is flown at a lower level than the American flag, Wilson said.
The Board of Works approved that the special flag could be flown but protocol must be followed.
After the meeting, Wilson provided a pamphlet of information on “The Honor and Remember” and “The Honor and Sacrifice” flags.
The Honor and Remember flag recognizes all individuals who have died as a result of serving in the United States military, dating back to the founding of the nation. The flag serves as a symbol of national gratitude for the hundreds of thousands of American men and women “who bravely made the ultimate sacrifice to preserve the freedoms we enjoy.”
The red field on the flag represents the blood spilled by men and women in America’s military throughout America’s history. The white field below the gold star recognizes the purity of sacrifice. The blue star represents active service in military conflict. The gold star signifies the ultimate sacrifice of a warrior in active service who will not return home. The folded flag on the flag signifies the final tribute to an individual life presented to the family for their significant loss. The flame is an eternal reminder of the spirit that has departed this life but still burns in the memory of all who knew and loved the hero.
On The Honor and Sacrifice flag, the blue field symbolizes nationally the law enforcement community. The purple field signifies mourning for a loss in the firefighter community. The white field, the folded flag and the flame represent the same things as they do on the Honor and Remember flag. The black star represents those who wear the distinctive badge, including the sheriff and marshal services. The red Maltese cross recognizes all individuals in the emergency response communities. The gold shield recognizes all public safety representatives who wear the shield and have made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty.
