thedrifter
01-03-09, 06:45 AM
Tiny flags, big mission
Friday, January 02, 2009 | 6:09 PM
By Gilbert Baez
Ann Moore knows a little something about having loved ones sent off to war. Both her husband and son have been in combat.
Moore is president of the auxiliary of American Legion Unit 109 in Benson. Last year, the ladies painstakingly folded 12,000 pocket flags to give to troops when they deployed to places like Iraq and Afghanistan.
"It means a lot to the guys to know that they have the support back home and that there are people doing what they can for them. Even though it's just a small thing, it's doing something like this," said Moore.
The Boy Scouts have been folding pocket flags for soldiers for years. Wanda Moore is trying to get American Legion units across the state involved.
"Some members of our unit are very, very good at it and can do it. But we like lots of people to try it so that they can see the difficulty of it and then they can see gift of it," said Wanda Moore.
The gift will be given once again this weekend across the state. That's because thousands of National Guardsmen are getting ready to deploy to Iraq. 280 of them will leave Benson Sunday with the tiny flags in their pockets.
"We have done this long enough now that we get Marines and soldiers on their second and third rotation. And so a lot of them will say 'That's okay Ma'am, I still have the first one you gave me. It took me there the first time and it'll bring me back safe the second time,'" said Wanda.
Video
http://abclocal.go.com/wtvd/story?section=news/local&id=6582742&rss=rss-wtvd-article-6582742
Ellie
Friday, January 02, 2009 | 6:09 PM
By Gilbert Baez
Ann Moore knows a little something about having loved ones sent off to war. Both her husband and son have been in combat.
Moore is president of the auxiliary of American Legion Unit 109 in Benson. Last year, the ladies painstakingly folded 12,000 pocket flags to give to troops when they deployed to places like Iraq and Afghanistan.
"It means a lot to the guys to know that they have the support back home and that there are people doing what they can for them. Even though it's just a small thing, it's doing something like this," said Moore.
The Boy Scouts have been folding pocket flags for soldiers for years. Wanda Moore is trying to get American Legion units across the state involved.
"Some members of our unit are very, very good at it and can do it. But we like lots of people to try it so that they can see the difficulty of it and then they can see gift of it," said Wanda Moore.
The gift will be given once again this weekend across the state. That's because thousands of National Guardsmen are getting ready to deploy to Iraq. 280 of them will leave Benson Sunday with the tiny flags in their pockets.
"We have done this long enough now that we get Marines and soldiers on their second and third rotation. And so a lot of them will say 'That's okay Ma'am, I still have the first one you gave me. It took me there the first time and it'll bring me back safe the second time,'" said Wanda.
Video
http://abclocal.go.com/wtvd/story?section=news/local&id=6582742&rss=rss-wtvd-article-6582742
Ellie