Whether displayed in front of homes and businesses, in the corner of a classroom or held high throughout a parade route, the American flag is a symbol of national pride.
On Monday morning, Seymour Elks Lodge 462 hosted its annual Flag Day ceremony with a history of the U.S. flag.
The Seymour Elks Honor Guard presented the history of the American flag, showcasing eight different versions, and lodge member Bill Lasater talked about each one, from the yellow “Don’t Tread on Me” flag featuring the image of a rattlesnake to the current 50-star flag featuring 13 stripes.
“The American flag is stationed in many countries of the world, not necessarily that we want it there, but it is needed there,” Lasater said. “Wherever the American flag is seen, the viewer knows it represents freedom. Many people who are deprived of their freedom share the presence of the American flag because they see hope that someday, they may themselves share in that freedom.”
Lasater said throughout history, wherever the American flag has been raised, the aftermath has been peaceful, and those who tried to destroy it have since become our friends.
“We are not conquerors who conquer our enemies, but rather, we give them freedom to become better people,” he said. “It is our way, and it is the American way.”
President Harry Truman, himself a member of the Elks, made the proclamation in 1949 that thereafter, June 14 would be a day of national observance for the American flag.
Lodge member Don Hill shared his “Running the flag” story during the program. The story was about an important turn of events that stemmed from teacher Harry Knight’s class at Seymour High School in 1979.
Knight, who also is an Elks member, was teaching current events at the school, and the class was discussing the Iranian situation at the time.
“This was in 1979 when a group of Iranians took hostage 52 of our diplomats, and this had been going on for nearly a year,” Hill said.
One of the students asked Knight what they could do about it.
“Harry explained that we were having diplomatic discussions and trying to solve the crisis,” Hill said. “‘No, no, I mean what can we here in the class, what can we do about it,’ the student asked?”
Knight told them they should show their respect for our country by honoring the flag, reciting the Pledge of Allegiance and doing things to show their patriotism, Hill said.
One of Knight’s students, Danny Kieser, got up and took the classroom flag down and left the room. He got stopped at the office and had to go back to Knight’s classroom for a hall pass.
“Keep in mind the classroom flags were placed there by the Seymour Elks as one of their national projects,” Hill said. “Danny got his pass and then proceeded to run around the school grounds holding high the American flag.”
Each day exactly the time the hostages were taken captive, a student in Knight’s class would quietly get up, get a pass and run with the flag, Hill said.
This went on until the hostages were set free after 444 days. The hostages were released Jan. 20, 1981, and on that day, the students handed the flag to Knight.
“That day, Mr. Knight ran the flag, and behind him were hundreds of students and faculty following behind,” Hill said.
Knight and Kieser both attended Monday’s Flag Day program, and Hill introduced them to the audience. As they both stood up, Kieser pulled the original hall pass from his shirt pocket and waved it in the air as people clapped.
Hill said knowing the importance of instilling patriotism in children, the lodge started a program to provide free American flags to all classrooms in Jackson County.
“We replaced faded flags and have installed new flags when new schools and additions were added,” Hill said.
Eventually, other Elks lodges in the southeast district pledged to do the same, and then it became a statewide program with 73 lodges participating.
“We were trying to get the program going nationally and went to the national convention in Denver,” Hill said. “I went directly to the Americanism committee, and they all jumped up and shook my hand and told me other states had adopted our program.”
In January 1988, the national Elks Grand Lodge adopted the policy to encourage Elks clubs in all states to put flags in all of the classrooms of the schools.
“So from Seymour Elks Lodge up to every lodge in the United States, hopefully, there are American flags in every classroom,” Hill said.