Veterans celebrate Flag Day with ceremony
DOUGLASSVILLE » The weather could not have been more appropriate Thursday as American flags were flying high in celebration of Flag Day.
Residents at Keystone Villa in Douglassville got to enjoy sunny skies and breezy weather late Thursday morning as they commemorated the day with a brief ceremony and breakfast to honor the nation’s symbol.
“I can’t thank all of you military personnel enough for your service to our country,” said Rob Kurtz who donated a newly landscaped area near the flagpole. “You folks don’t get anywhere near the credit you deserve. We sit here a free country thanks to all of you and the rest who have served this country so bravely.”
The ceremony began with an entrance by the Berks County Sheriff’s Department Honor Guard and was followed by the pledge of allegiance and a rendition of “America the Beautiful.”
After a few remarks from veterans on the meaning of Flag Day, Kurtz, of Solid Rock Landscaping, thanked veterans at Keystone Villa as they sat beneath the flagpole where the American flag was flying high. The area just beneath the flag features a small plant bed as well as two stone benches with a stone pathway that includes both new and worn rock meant to symbolize veterans, Kurtz said.
“It’s my pleasure to do this area
in honor of my father and all of you who sit here,” said Kurtz. “The area has significant meaning. There’s red, white and blue within the display. There’s a dark border and that is in memory of all those who have served and given their lives. Some of the blocks have a few blemishes in them, they’re damaged a little bit. They’re those who have served and were able to come home but have been damaged, either mentally, emotionally, physically or both. My father taught me at a young age to honor the flag and I proudly do that.”
The ceremony ended with a moment of silence and attendees were invited inside for a veterans breakfast.
“The flag means everything to me,” said resident James Miller. “I served in the Navy for 22 years and spent 13 years at sea. I have been all over the world, and there is simply nothing like seeing our American Flag fly. I’m proud to live somewhere that appreciates our flag the same way I do.”