Douglas Alexander: “On May 17, Armed Forces Day, I drove down to Madisonville, TN to participate in the raising of the largest American flag…”

“On May 17, Armed Forces Day, I drove down to Madisonville, TN to participate in the raising of the largest American flag in our State. The people of Madisonville and Monroe County had been working on this for months. The community joined together to make the Veterans Flag Memorial something to be proud of. Along with the impressive flag, a brick wall was erected. Businesses donated bricks, mortar, concrete and a variety of services from architectural to brick masonry. Citizens donated approximately $70,000 to the project, including contributions and brick sales. The brick sales were reserved for veterans and active duty military. The memorial has been a labor of love for the community. The dedication ceremony to celebrate this hard work was an important event. As I drove up to Haven Hill Memorial Gardens, where the ceremony was to be held, it started to rain; then it poured. Thunderstorms arrived, and lightning began to dance in the sky. Not many of us wanted to get too close to the 150 foot flagpole. But through it all, the ceremony went forward. There must have been 500 people who sat there in the rain, absolutely drenched. And then, the sun came out as the program began. The most impressive moment came with the raising of the flag. Twenty men marched forward carrying the flag. It was soaking wet and very heavy.”