By BOBBIE GREEN
The Progress
The Elks Lodge of Mesquite held their traditional annual celebration of “Flag Day” at the Veterans Memorial Park on Friday morning, June 14.
A small crowd gathered to pay their respects to the American flag and what it stands for, despite the summer heat.
It is a national Elks tradition to honor the flag on Flag Day. Elks Lodges across the country have been doing so since 1911.
Retired Navy Marine Chaplain Allan Hansen offered the prayer.
Local Elk’s club member Neil Stuckey sang the National Anthem. Ted Tedlock sang “Proud to be an American,” as the audience stood and waved their hand-held flags.
Local Elks Exalted Ruler Eddie Lopez was the emcee for the ceremony.
The eight flag bearers included Amy Bradshaw, Ellen Middleton, Sharon Bevans, Kathy Baylor Mayor Al Litman, Hearld Straley. Jim Garner, and Mike Gill. They each brought forward a flag representing the history of the United States from its birth, as Lopez described the flags’ uses, by whom and why.
The American Flag was adopted on June 14, 1777. In 1916 President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed June 14 as National Flag Day. The US Congress made National Flag Day permanent in 1949.
Although not a federal holiday the day is widely celebrated by patriotic citizens.
Monte Dipple, event organizer said, “I am happy to see we grew a larger crowd than last year.”
Lopez agreed with Dipple adding, “It was great to have the support of the Ladies from (Daughters of the American Revolution) who are veterans or related to a veteran that held some of the flags along with the Elks Veterans, and all the people who came out.”
The audience was treated to home-made breakfast burritos from the Elks as they departed
