Flag flies the colors in a big way

RANTOUL, Ill. — Neal Lambert wants the American flag that visitors to the Half Century of Progress show will see to be a reminder.

“I just hope they realize they live in a free country and that they should never turn their back on that flag or anybody who served to protect that flag,” said Lambert, himself a U.S. Navy veteran.

It will be a reminder that is hard to ignore or forget.

The flag that Lambert and his team of five other veterans from the United Veterans of America chapter in Gastonia, North Carolina, are bringing weighs 350 pounds dry. It is 65 feet by 115 feet and will be suspended between two cranes during the show.

“It travels in its own bag. We have a trailer for it because we also have cable and rigging that we have to use to put it up between the cranes,” Lambert said.

The flag will be raised every day and lowered every evening at the show and Lambert said when it’s time to lower the flag for the night, the announcement brings a crowd.

“They make an announcement during the show, right before we get ready to take it down and there will be a lot of people over there waiting to help take it down and put it in the bag,” he said.

The traveling flag that the veterans display is a slightly smaller version of the one that flies from a 200-foot-tall flagpole not far from the United Veterans of America post just outside of Gastonia.

That flag is 75 feet by 125 feet and is billed as the largest U.S. flying from a pole. That flag flies all the time, weather permitting.

“We have three lights aimed on it. We try to leave it up as long as the weather will allow,” Lambert said.

The flagpole is located on a hill about a mile from the post, but because of its size is visible from a distance.

“We just like to keep it going. It’s just one of those things, whether you are a veteran or not, as long as you like being American and the American flag, it just doesn’t get any better. It makes the hair stand up on your arm when you put that thing up and see it on that pole,” Lambert said.

The Gastonia flag has drawn interest from across the nation.

“We get a lot of interest from people all over the place. We had a family come from Ohio with their kids. They wanted to know if one of their sons could help put the flag up, so we took them up there and let him push the button for the winch that raises and lowers the flag. It tickled that little boy to death to be able to see that,” Lambert said.

The United Veterans of America chapter started as an AMVETS, American Veterans, chapter. The chapter is made up of military veterans.

The post holds fundraisers to raise money to build a park around the flagpole, they host weekly meals for veterans and they raise funds to buy Christmas gifts for veterans in a nearby VA hospital. The chapter has around 375 members and a board of 12 officers.

Helping veterans and raising funds to build a star-shaped park around the flagpole are priorities.

“We are trying to build a park around the base of the flagpole, called the Patriot’s Star. Right now, we are trying to get a regular road put in up to the flag. We also feed veterans at the post, we try to have something every day, but if not every day, then every week, at least. We have a Facebook page to try to get the word out about the post and the chapter. Everything we do down here is on a donation basis,” Lambert said.

Both the traveling flag and the permanent flag are kept repaired by local volunteers. Repairs are vital since the flags, which are made by a company in Texas, can cost around $14,000 each to replace.

Lambert said he and the other veterans who will travel with the flag to Rantoul are happy to make the journey and put in the work to share the flag with others.

“Anything we can do to keep the American spirit of being free and what that flag stands for. There are people who have paid the ultimate price and those are the ones we will not forget,” Lambert said.