All Star Flags September, 2011 | All Star Flags

American Flags and Wisconsin Flags to fly at half-staff Saturday, October 1st in the state of Wisconsin in honor of US Army Reserve Staff Sergeant Garrick L. Eppinger, Jr.

According to the office of the governor:
Staff Sergeant Garrick L. Eppinger, Jr., a member of the 395th Ordnance Company, 687th Combat Sustainment Support Brigade, 646th Regional Support Group, 310th Expeditionary Sustainment Command, Wausau, Wis., died while serving his country in Afghanistan.

American Flags and Oregon Flags to fly at half-staff Friday, September 30th in the state of Oregon in honor of Army Master Sergeant Danial Adams.

According to the office of the governor:
MSG Adams, 35, of Hillsboro, Oregon, died September 13 in Wardak province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne) in Stuttgart, Germany.

American Flags and Hawaii Flags to fly at half-staff Friday, September 30th in the state of Hawaii in honor of former state Representative Lisa Naito and former state Representative and swimming legend Keo Nakama.

According to the office of the governor:
Lisa Naito, who was born in Brooklyn, N.Y., was a newspaper correspondent in Paris and jazz singer with a band called the New Yorkers before arriving in Hawaii in 1964 aboard a yacht that was sailing around the world. She was elected state representative of the Kaimuki-Kapahulu district in 1974 and re-elected in 1976. She later worked as a state social worker and was involved with several community organizations, including the Hawaii Death with Dignity Society.

Keo Nakama began his legendary swimming career in the Hawaiian Commercial & Sugar Irrigation ditches in Pu’unene, Maui as a child. He attended Ohio State University, where he excelled at swimming and baseball, winning Big Ten and National Collegiate Athletic Association titles. During his swim career, he won 27 U.S. National Championships from 100 yards to 1500 meters and set the world record swim for a mile at 20:29. Nakama was the first person to swim completely across the 27-mile Kaiwi Channel from Moloka’i to O’ahu, an accomplishment completed in 15.5 hours.

Nakama also served as a Hawaii high school swim coach, teacher and athletic director before being elected to the Hawaii State House of Representatives, where he served for five terms until 1974. Nakama was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame in 1975 and into the Hawaii Sports Hall of Fame in 1998.

American Flags and Michigan Flags to fly at half-staff Friday, September 30th in the state of Michigan in honor of US Army Specialist Chazray C. Clark.

According to the office of the governor:
Spec. Clark was assigned to the 4th Squadron, 4th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Kansas. He joined the Army in 2009 and deployed to Afghanistan with the 4-4 Calvary in February 2011.

Clark was awarded the National Defense Service Medal, the Afghanistan Campaign Service Medal with Bronze service star, a Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Army Service Ribbon, the Overseas Service Ribbon, the Combat Action Badge, the Combat and Special Skill Badge, the Basic Marksmanship Qualifications Badge, the Rifle Expert Marksmanship Badge and the Overseas Service Bar. He received the Bronze Star Medal, the Purple Heart, the Good Conduct Medal and the NATO Medal posthumously.

American Flags and Hawaii Flags to fly at half-staff Thursday, September 29th in the state of Hawaii in memory of former state Representative and First Circuit Judge Katsugo Miho.

According to the office of the governor:
Judge Miho, born in 1922 in Kahului, Maui, served with the 442nd Regimental Combat Team during World War II. Miho received his law degree from George Washington University Law School and became a lawyer in private practice. In 1959, Miho was elected to the State of Hawaii House of Representatives and served for five terms. He was appointed as a Family Court Judge where he served for eight years. Miho was also involved in the community, including the Japan Goodwill Sumo tournaments, Japan-Hawaii High School Goodwill and Friendship baseball series, 442nd Veterans Club of Honolulu and the Crown Prince Akihito Scholarship Foundation.

American Flags and West Virginia Flags to fly at half-staff Monday, September 26th in the state of West Virginia in honor of Colonel Ralph Dayton Albertazzie.

According to the office of the governor:
Albertazzie graduated from Morgantown High School and attended West Virginia University before enlisting in the Army Air Corps, which later became the United States Air Force. Albertazzie served for 30 years and through his distinguished service achieved the rank of Colonel. He served in World War II, Korea and Vietnam, flying 17 combat missions and 75 combat support missions in Vietnam.

In 1968, Albertazzie was named Commander of Air Force One, serving under President Richard M. Nixon and serving until the resignation of President Nixon in 1974. During his service he piloted for former Presidents Dwight D. Eisenhower, Harry S. Truman, Gerald Ford, John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson. In 1972 he flew President Nixon to the People’s Republic of China for the purpose of opening relations between the People’s Republic of China and the United States, making Colonel Albertazzie the first American pilot to fly into Communist China.

After leaving the military in 1974, Albertazzie served as West Virginia Commissioner of Commerce under Gov. Arch Moore and in 1976 was a candidate for Governor of West Virginia. He later authored, “The Flying White House: The Story of Air Force One” and “Hostage One,” inspired by his years of piloting Air Force One. In addition, he owned several businesses in Martinsburg including the Panhandle ’76 truck stop and a television station.

American Flags and Iowa Flags to fly at half-staff Friday, September 23 through Sunday, September 25 in the state of Iowa in honor of volunteer firefighter Michael Collins and Iowa State Trooper Mark Toney.

According to the office of the governor:
On Sunday, September 18, 2011, volunteer firefighter Michael Collins, of Shelby, Iowa, was directing traffic around a car accident on Interstate 80 just east of the Shelby exit. Collins was struck by a motorist and killed. Collins will be laid to rest on Friday, September 23, 2011.

On Tuesday, September 20, 2011, Iowa State Trooper Mark Toney was on patrol when he was killed in a single-vehicle accident near Indianola, Iowa. Trooper Toney was a 24-year veteran of the Iowa State Patrol. He will be laid to rest Saturday, September 24, 2011.

American Flags and Michigan Flags to fly at half-staff Friday, September 23rd in the State of Michigan in honor of US Navy Surface Warfare Operator Chief Petty Officer Heath M. Robinson.

According to the office of the governor:
Robinson, 34, was among 30 service members killed on Aug. 6 while supporting Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. Their helicopter was shot down by enemy forces in Afghanistan’s Wardak province.

Robinson was assigned to the East Coast-based Naval Special Warfare Unit. He enlisted in the Navy in January 1996 and completed Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL School in Coronado, Calif., in January 2000. He then served with two West Coast-based special warfare units from March 2000 to April 2004, and later served with four East Coast-based special warfare units beginning in April 2004.

Robinson’s decorations include four Bronze Star Medals, the Joint Service Commendation Medal, three Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medals, the Joint Service Achievement Medal, three Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals, a Combat Action Ribbon, two Presidential Unit Citations, a Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation, five Navy Good Conduct Medals, the Navy Fleet Marine Force Ribbon, National Defense Service Medal, an Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, two Afghanistan Campaign Medals, the Iraq Campaign Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, six Sea Service Deployment Ribbons, the NATO Medal, the Navy Expert Rifleman Medal and the Navy Expert Pistol Shot Medal.

Someone burns American flag erected for 9/11 anniversary

On Saturday afternoon, Jennifer Saucier put up an American flag outside her Wilmington business, Prima Day Spay, in honor of the 10th anniversary of 9/11.

“Tuesday morning when I drove up I noticed that the flag wasn’t flying,” Saucier said. “When I got closer, I noticed the pole was all black and singed. Somebody burned it.”

The flag pole had been attached to the wall, and pieces of the burned flag were on the ground under the pole.

“I was really upset,” Saucier said. “Now, I’m kind of thinking maybe it was just a kid who doesn’t understand the weight of things like that, but that’s sad too.”

For now, she has another flag hanging inside the door of the spa, which is at 5101 Dunlea Court. Her husband is going to get another pole to fly the flag outside the spa, she said.

Wilmington Police took a report of the burning of the flag, valued at $50, but the odds the person responsible will be caught are slim.

“I don’t think we have a clue, and I don’t think it’s going to be easy to solve,” said Lucy Crockett, a police spokeswoman.

Saucier said she planned to ask someone at the neighboring Target store if its exterior cameras filmed the front of her business.

“It could have easily caught the building on fire,” she said.

A Wilmington company, All Star Flags, called Saucier after hearing about what happened and told her they would be donating a flagpole for the spa’s new flag.

www.starnewsonline.com

WILMINGTON | Two Wilmington companies are working together to pay honor and respect to those who have fought and given their lives to serve and protect our country. Coble Ward-Smith Funeral and Cremation Services and All Star Flags are teaming up to make this a reality.

With help from All Star Flags, three flag poles were installed in front of Coble Ward-Smith on Oleander Drive, along with a memory garden.

Scott Teague, general manager of Coble Ward-Smith, came up with the idea of honoring military burials, and turned to All Star Flags for help.

“On the days we have funeral services for personnel from any of the five military branches we will fly the appropriate armed forces flag at half-staff for the entire days we’re serving these families,” Teague said.

A dedication ceremony will be held at a later date at Coble Ward-Smith, 3915 Oleander Drive.

All Star Flags has since helped Coble Ward-Smith with a similar project at their Southport, NC location, recently installing three flagpoles at that facility.

www.starnewsonline.com