DAYTON, Ohio — An American flag with historical and national significance will be on display at the National Museum of the United States Air Force, located on the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, June 24 in conjunction with Freedom’s Call Tattoo.
Flag with memories
The flag — dubbed The National 9/11 Flag — was nearly destroyed in the aftermath of the collapse of the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001.
Seven years later, it was stitched back together by tornado survivors in Greensburg, Kansas.
“This flag is a living testament to the resilience and compassion of the American people,” said Jeff Parness, founder of the New York Says Thank You Foundation. “It is the modern day version of The Star Spangled Banner.”
Journey
The New York Says Thank You Foundation is currently taking The National 9/11 Flag on a journey across America as part of the flag’s national restoration tour.
During a stop in each of the 50 states, local service heroes are given the opportunity of stitching the flag back to its original 13-stripe format using pieces of fabric from American flags destined for retirement by each state.
Ohio stop
The foundation is asking local civic organizations and the public to nominate service heroes from around the Miami Valley to participate in the stitching ceremony. These local heroes will be joined by New York firefighters as they sew the Ohio restorative patch onto The National 9/11 Flag.
Nominations will be accepted through June 17 and must be submitted online at www.National911Flag.org by clicking on “Nominate a Service Hero.”
The local hero stitching ceremony is set for 1 p.m. June 24 at the National Museum of the United States Air Force. Afterward, there will be a public stitching ceremony scheduled to last until 4:30 p.m.
Later that evening, the flag will be incorporated into the Tattoo program.
Tattoo is free and open to the public. Gates open at 4 p.m. on the grounds of the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio.
Once it is restored and made whole again, The National 9/11 Flag will become a part of the permanent collection of the National September 11 Memorial Museum being built at the World Trade Center site.
For more information about Freedom’s Call Tattoo 2011, log onto www.wpafb.af.mil/tattoo.
