Who raised the flag?
Linda Newman had achieved her goal of having the flagpole at the four corners repaired and was pleased that Matlacha artist Leoma Lovegrove would be donating a new flag to replace the torn and tattered flag which had been retired. But she was still feeling a bit sad that there was no flag on the newly repaired flagpole.
“Then one day my husband and I drove past and there was a flag flying! But no one knew who had raised it,” she said.
In the meantime, Lee County Patriots chairperson Kathy Jones received an email from island accountant Ellen Garten. It informed her that the flag had been donated by Steve McKellar of All Scrap Recycling in St. James City and, if it was going to be replaced, it should be returned to McKellar.
“I called Steve,”Jones said, “and found out he had indeed offered to donate a flag. It was a flag which was being used for a military funeral for one of his employees but he had not gotten it back yet and, no, had not been the one to replace it.”
“I’m a pretty patriotic person,” McKellar said. “While I knew the flag wasn’t really big enough, I did offer to donate it. But someone beat me to it because there’s a flag on the pole now.”
Newman, Jones and McKellar hope the person who anonymously raised the flag will come forward.
“While it is nice to know someone felt patriotic enough to raise a flag, we would like to acknowledge that patriotism,” said Newman. “We hope he or she will at least come to the flag raising ceremony, even if reluctant to make his or her identity known right now. We plan a flag folding ceremony and would like to properly return it.”
Jones added, “I hope this patriot comes forward so we can make him or her a part of the ceremony. Anyone having any information can telephone me at 560-4488.”