All Star Flags All Star Flags News | All Star Flags - Part 4

Veterans Day (also known in several other countries as Remembrance Day) is upon us, and it is a time to celebrate ALL those who have served our country in wartime and peacetime. Not to be confused with Memorial Day, which remembers those who have died in service to this country, Veterans Day (yes that’s the correct spelling!) honors and celebrates LIVING veterans who have sacrificed and served this country’s national security (Flags fly at full staff on Veterans Day). Especially now, it is a time to be thankful for peace and join in honoring those who protect us. So fly your American flag with pride, and this November 11th when you see an Armed Forces flag flying, remember all military personnel who have and are serving the United States of America.

This Monday, October 10th, is Columbus Day, and whether or not you are a fan of Christopher Columbus you may be interested to know more about one of our favorite topics: his flags! Columbus’ fleet of three ships, the Niña, Pinta, and Santa Maria, made its infamous voyages flying some very interesting flags. Columbus, as admiral of the fleet, flew the royal standard (a white flag carrying a heraldic eagle) and his two captains flew the fleet’s ensign flag. The ensign flag consisted of a green maltese cross with an “F” and “Y” on either side. The old gothic letters were adorned with golden crowns for King Fernando of Aragon and Sicily and Ysabel, queen of Castile and Leon. To top things off, from Christopher Columbus’ ship, Santa Maria, flew a pennant as long as the mast bearing royal arms, a crucifix, and the words “Tanto Monta” meaning “One Is Equal to the Other,” the motto of Fernando and Ysabel.

*Images from Flags of the World

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

Sometime during the July 4^th weekend, a flagpole was erected on Masonboro Island, a spoil island near channel marker 151 on the Intracoastal Waterway between Wrightsville Beach and Carolina Beach.  The pole, complete with Old Glory, bears a plaque reading “In Memory and Honor of the U.S. MILITARY past and present who Defend our Freedom” and is dated July 4, 2011.  Since the island is state-owned property, the flagpole must be relocated or it will be removed.  A group of boaters calling itself the “Anonymous Patriots” erected the pole and has 14 days to remove the pole.  Carolina Beach Town Manager Tim Owens has offered to provide a new location for the pole if the group will donate it.  We at All Star have offered our services to Carolina Beach to reinstall the pole free of charge to help the group’s good intentions be realized.  Stay tuned!

Labor Day is just around the corner, so be thinking about how to decorate your back yard for that holiday barbecue!  But ever wonder why Labor Day, always the first Monday in September, is the holiday to gather friends and family around the grill for fun and food?  Originally Labor Day was created in celebration of the achievements of American workers as the “workingman’s holiday.”  A street parade was held with much flag waving and fanfare, followed by a festival held for the workers and their families.  Today we still have our own festival of food and fun to pay tribute on Labor Day, so break out your pleated fans and American flags and get those grills fired up!

Happy Flag Day from All Star Flags.  Fly your flag and show your colors.

All Star Flags encourages all citizens to proudly display their American flags on Monday, February 21, when our country celebrates Presidents’ Day. 

A federal holiday honoring our first President, George Washington, was implemented by an Act of Congress in 1880 for government offices in the District of Columbia, and expanded in 1885 to include all federal offices.  It was the first federal holiday to honor an American citizen and was celebrated on Washington’s birthday, February 22.  When the Uniform Monday Holiday Act was enacted in 1971, the federal holiday shifted to the third Monday in February, which meant that the holiday would fall between February 15 and 21, and would never land on Washington’s actual birthday.  Still, the name of the holiday continued to be “Washington’s Birthday”. 

By the mid-1980’s, there was a push from the public – primarily advertisers – to call the holiday “Presidents’ Day” to honor the birthdays of both Washington and Lincoln.  However, Lincoln’s birthday, February 12, had never been a federal holiday.   Since that time, “Presidents’ Day” has become the generally accepted name for the holiday.  The holiday is known as a day for great sales at stores.  This may be appropriate, as the original intent of the Uniform Monday Holiday Act was to promote business.  Although some school districts close, most colleges and corporations remain open. 

Few Americans may actually celebrate this holiday.  But it would be appropriate to honor the memories of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, and acknowledge a federal holiday, by flying one of the greatest symbols of our country.  Fly your own American flag this Monday for everyone to see.

http://www.annin.com/newsPR_1102_celebrating_presidents_day.asp

Annin Flag is handling the delicate job of repairing the National 9/11 Flag that is currently on a national tour.  Read more:

http://blog.nj.com/njv_mark_diionno/2011/02/september_11_flag_is_being_rep.html

The city of Pittsfield, MA has opened a contest to design an official flag for the city.  The flag design contest is open to anyone and designs must be submitted by March 1st.