‘A grand old flag’
More than 200 people attend Flag Day Celebration
Right on cue the wind picked up and the new American flag waved grandly in the sky over Porterville as the sun set.
More than 200 people many dressed in red, white and blue welcomed Old Glory by standing at Thursday’s 37th annual Flag Day Celebration as the Strathmore High School band led by Nicholas Walters played the national anthem.
The solemn and patriotic ceremony took place in the Grocery Outlet parking lot on the corner of Olive Avenue and D Street.
The ceremony consisted of partiotic speeches and music and culuminated with the removal of the large American flag and raising of the new flag, which will fly for the next 12 months.
Newly elected Tulare County Board of Supervisors District 5 representative, Dennis Townsend was the emcee of the Flag Day ceremony and introduced the guest speaker, Navy veteran and Councilmember Cameron Hamilton.
The ever jovial Hamilton joked with crowd and then told the story behind the song “You’re a Grand Old Flag” written by George M. Cohan in 1906 at the age of 28. The theme of the Porterville Flag Day Celebration was “It’s a Grand Old Flag.”
“I thought it appropriate that we know the rich history behind this famous march,” Hamilton said. “And more importantly its significant meaning and purpose.”
Cohan was also known for writing other patriotic songs including “The Yankee Doodle Boy” and “Over There.”
“You’re a Grand Old Flag” was included in Cohan’s musical stage producion of “George Washington Jr” and the march was originally titled “You’re a Grand Old Rag.”
Cohan changed the name of the song shortly before the musical’s opening due some people’s objections.
The original song title was not meant to be dishonorable, Hamilton explained.
“It goes directly to the special meaning and purpose of the march,” Hamilton said. “The inspiration for the song came from a personal encounter that Cohan had with an elderly Civil War veteran who had fought as a Union soldier in the Battle of Gettysberg.”
The veteran carefully folded the old flag from the battle as constant memory of the 50,000 casualties suffered in the bloodiest conflict of the Civil War.
“The veteran referred to it as ‘she’s a grand old rag’ and with that inspiration Cohan composed this now-famous patriotic anthem,” Hamilton said. Cohan even included a character that represented the veteran in his play that led into the song.
More than 1 million copies of sheet music were sold when the song was released to the public.
“As we gather today to celebrate and commemorate the adoption of our great flag of the United States as a lasting symbol of our nation’s freedom and liberty, let us never forget the sacred meaning of personal courage and sacrifice the flag represents for those that have so valiantly served our country in protection of freedom and liberty,” Hamilton said.
Deanna Pettus had the honor of naming the Alta Mira Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution’s Community Service Award honoree — Porterville veteran Don Dowling.
“Our recipient has not only given to the community at large, but especially to our veteran community,” she said.
Dowling attended Porterville schools and in 1965 left Porterville High School at 17 to join the Army, but he was to young to fight in Vietnam and was sent to Fort Bragg, NC, and then to Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic. During basic training he earned his GED and became a PHS graduate.
After turning 18, he went to Vietnam as part of the 101st Airborne Division and eventually became a Green Beret.
He returned to Porterville and married Mariom Demasters in late 1969. From there he spent 11 years in Europe and his finaly assignment was in Youngstown, Ohio. In 1986, at the age of 40, he retired. He received many citations, badges and medals in his 22 years of service, including Purple Hearts, a Bronze Star and the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry with Palm.
After retiring, he and his wife and their seven children returned to Porterville. Dowling worked as a state police officer at the Porterville Developmental Center before retiring from state service in 2010.
Some of Dowlings’ community service included Commander of the VFW, chairman of the Veteran’s Homecoming Committee, serving on the board of directors for the Porterville Veterans Memorial District and member of t the Porterville Flag Day Committee.
“I am very pleased to be recognized and very pleased to be a part of this community,” Dowling said.
Christine Redwine was announced as the winner of the Flag Day Essay contest by Recorder Publisher Bill Parsons.
Also during the ceremony, Porterville Vice Mayor Brian Ward, filling in for Mayor Milt Stowe, presented a proclomation. First Congregational Church Pastor Kevin Roach led the invocation.
The history of the American flag was presented by the Elks Lodge and Boy Scout Troop 139.
The Porterville Emblem Club No. 82 helped release balloons.
American Legion Post No. 20 disposed of the flags and conducted a rifle salute and Taps played by Mike Smith and Steve Bolt.