PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE

[Donutblue]

Local radio station WHUD here in the Hudson Valley every morning at 7:30AM has a local elementary school class on the Air giving the Pledge of Allegiance. It's really a breath of fresh air to hear the enthusisam of all the kids. Whats even better is I haven't heard any of the liberal cry babies bashing the idea.

[Kim_Howie]

www.cvsflags.com american made flags prices from 7.95 to 24.95 P.S. I have NEVER been in a wallmart!!!!!

[ORIGLS6]

Annin & Co.
Flagmakers to the world since 1847
105 Eisenhower Pkwy.
Roseland, NJ 07068

www.annin.com

[Verne_Frantz]

Thanks for posting that link Dennis I didn't even know they were there.
This is quite an impressive story

America's Flag Maker

by Warren D. Jorgensen

From a mountain on Iwo Jima to the surface of the moon, from exotic ports of call to the North and South poles, from atop Mount Everest to the rubble of the World Trade Center, Americans and the world have seen, flown and saluted U.S. flags made by Annin & Co. for nearly 160 years.
The world's largest and oldest flag company, Annin & Co. and its 500 employees produce literally miles of stripes and a multitude of stars that go into 15 million U.S. flags a year. All are made in the U.S.A.—at manufacturing plants in Verona, N.J. (pop. 13,533), South Boston, Va. (pop, 8,491), and Coshocton, Ohio (pop. 11,682).

"Patriotism demands that an American flag has to be made in America,” says Carter Beard, who with his cousin, Randy, represent the sixth generation to help run the business, based in Roseland, N.J. (pop. 5,298). "We hire the best workers, train them and give them the best machines, and from that we get the highest quality flag.”

The company's roots go back to 1820, when Alexander Annin opened a small flag-making shop on the New York City waterfront, where ships bound for the four corners of the world did so under Annin-made flags. Annin's sons, Edward and Benjamin, followed in their father's footsteps and in 1847 founded Annin & Co., moving to a large full-service factory on New York's Fifth Avenue. The company enjoyed success from the start, especially with its American flags.

Woven into American history

In many ways, the company's story is interwoven with the story of America itself.

In 1849, Annin-made American flags were flown at the inauguration of President Zachary Taylor, starting an inaugural tradition that has continued through the inauguration of President George W. Bush.

"We made the flag that draped Abraham Lincoln's coffin (in 1865), something we are especially proud of,” Beard says.

By the close of the 19th century, regard for the Annins' product had spread, and the company's flags were hoisted at foreign expositions, world's fairs and at the opening of the Brooklyn Bridge in 1883.

Exploration and involvement in world affairs consumed America during the 20th century, and Annin was there. The company's flags were planted as symbols of success during Commander Robert E. Peary's expedition to the North Pole in 1909, Admiral Richard E. Byrd's expedition to the South Pole in 1930 and the National Geographic expedition to Mount Everest in 1963. It was an Annin-made flag that Marines raised atop Mount Suribachi on Iwo Jima in 1945, memorialized in a classic Associated Press photograph.

On July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong and "Buzz” Aldrin stepped out from the Lunar Module and planted an Annin-made U.S. flag on the moon's surface, where it remains today. "We were a supplier to NASA . . . We officially submitted flags to NASA for the moon missions, and ours was picked,” says Beard, who was age 4 at the time.

The world's largest American flag—104 feet by 235 feet—was made by Annin for the J.L. Hudson Co. in Detroit in 1949 and was retired in 1976 to the Smithsonian Institution. It was Annin artist Newt Heisley who designed the POW/MIA flag, which was never copyrighted because the company decided the patriotic symbol belonged to all Americans.

Perhaps the nation's most recent memory of an Annin-made flag came after the events of Sept. 11, 2001, when firemen raced to a nearby marina and grabbed a ship's American flag to raise over the rubble of the World Trade Center. The photographed moment became the iconic image of that tragic day. "Everyone here was extremely proud that it was an Annin flag,” says Beard, his voice mixed with pride and regret. "It was an emotional sight to see that flag being raised.”

[ORIGLS6]

I saw their story on "Made in America" with George Ratzenberger, (aka Cliff Claven). Then I noticed that the flags we fly here at work all come from Annin.

Pretty cool Company History.

I have about 25 years of service with the Boy Scouts. We were the group of choice for many of the institutions in our area to donate their retired flags. Every year or so we would perform the flag retirement ceremony at one of our Council gatherings. I've been inactive with the Scouts for a few years now but still seem to be the repository for our company. That's OK though. I do the ceremony alone when I get a fair amount of 'Old Soldiers'.

[ORIGLS6]

Oops, make that John Ratzenberger.

Don't wanna start somethin' between Cliff & Normy!

[Verne_Frantz]

Knowing this bunch of guys, I probably shouldn't dare mention this, but in Feb. 1960 when I was 10 and a Cub Scout, I was selected to represent the nations Cub Scouts during National Boy Scout week on the Ed Sullivan show in NYC. There was a Boy Scout and an Explorer there along side me. Ed brought us out under the lights, said some nice things and "we" recited the Boy Scout Oath. Of course, just being a Cub, I didn't know it OR know I was supposed to recite it, so I just stood there nervously in front of the cameras with my hand raised in the Cub Scout salute and kept my mouth shut.
There was a terrible snow storm that evening and the tunnel into the city was closed. My parents were told at the toll booth that they had to turn around but my Mother told them in no uncertain terms that HER son has to be on the Ed Sullivan show that night and could not be denied access to the city. They had Pop park the car there (our '58 Pontiac Star Chief) and we all got in a police car and were taken directly to the studio with lights flashing. That was my one and only ride in the back of a police car!
What a trip!

Verne

[Salvatore]

[ QUOTE ]
www.cvsflags.com american made flags prices from 7.95 to 24.95 P.S. I have NEVER been in a wallmart!!!!!

[/ QUOTE ] I bet you haven't been in a WalMart! There is not even a WALMART around where you live!