For most of the year, the flag at Eutaw Marshburn was a tiny, tattered, faded thatch of threads. Flew night and day. Someone remarked it looked like it had been there for the war of 1812. No light. No one raised or lowered it. Finally, neighbors (not us) complained about the disgraceful appearance of the flag and demanded it be taken down. But these complainers apparently didn't care enough to see a new one put up.

So for months there has been no flag on the high pole at the corner of Eutaw Place and McMechen.

On Thursday morning, January 8, 2004, members of the National Guard will provide a proper color guard for a ceremony to present and raise a new, American made, four by six foot flag.

There should be a brass band from a local school. And we're trying to arrange a veteran or two to speak to the children, perhaps after in the auditorium, about the flag's meaning.

Please attend. The ceremony should be brief. Perhaps you can stop on your way to work? We hope this ceremony will have meaning and significance to all who attend, the neighbors and to the children of Eutaw Marshburn. Seeing so many adults give a damn about their flag may help impress the kids with its importance. Especially at a time when so many moms and dads and brothers and sisters are serving and dying in a war far away ... again.

Interesting story about the flag "situation" at the school: When we contacted her, the school's principal said that she had spent the money for the flag, but that the company she gave the money to had gone out of business. Rather pathetic, especially since the good flag we just bought cost less than $50. And since September 11, 2001, flag sales have been way up.

Further, the principal informed us "the head custodian usually does it [the raising and lowering of the flag], but that's against her religion.... I asked the history teacher to do it, but he didn't have the time." Seems odd to more than one person that it's not against her religion to accept a state salary or to spend American money, but religious freedom is what America's all about.

So, we're proposing to attend to the daily raising and lowering ourselves, with the help of officers of the Pedestal Gardens Police, two of whom are ex Marines. We all know how seriously the Marines take the flag ...

We have yet to arrange a key for this or to redo the flag halyard so it can be accessed from outside and secured. Or, perhaps we can arrange a nice floodlamp to illuminate it during the night. Would be pretty since it overlooks a busy intersection. Wouldn't need to be put up each morning and taken down at dusk that way. Not that any of us considers this a chore.