Flying Flags That Flew Over the U.S. Capitol
FLAGS
The Keene Sentinel
Lauren Katims
Boston University Washington News Service
10-12-06
WASHINGTON, Oct. 12 – On Flag Day this year, Rita Cummings, 80, had a personal celebration at Langdon Place, the senior citizen facility where she lives in Keene.
To honor Cummings’ long-time membership, the Keene Kiwanis Club contacted Rep. Charles Bass’s office and requested a U.S. flag to be flown over the Capitol building in Washington, D.C., and mailed to Cummings with a letter and a certificate signed by Bass.
Cummings was a war bride from England and is a naturalized U.S. citizen who has an affinity for the American flag. Since she is no longer able to drive or attend meetings, the club wanted to do something to honor her, said Jane Lane, a staff aide for Bass’s Keene office.
During the June 14 ceremony at Langdon Place, Cummings’ friends and family came to watch as patriotic music played.
“It was very moving, a very nice ceremony,” said Lane.
Having a flag flown over the Capitol for a constituent is not unusual. The practice’s origins are “casual,” said Eva Malecki , communications director for the Architect of the Capitol, but can be traced back to 1937 when a member of Congress wanted a flag flown for commemorative reasons. The program caught on, she said.
Since then, around three million flags have been flown over the Capitol. Now more than 100,000 are flown each year.
In Bass’ Washington office, junior staffers handle the three to five flag requests that come in each week, said Bass spokesman John Billings. The most demand comes around the holidays, particularly Veteran’s Day, Fourth of July and Memorial Day.
But flags are flown for all different reasons, said Karen Livingston, supervisor of the flag office in the Capitol. Some people order flags for retirement, graduation or a pet’s birthday. Someone has even requested a flag to honor the removal of a cast, she said.
Some states get more requests than others, but Livingston said she could not say which states are in the lead because the program is not intended to be competitive.
Anybody can order a flag from his or her congressman and have it shipped home, but most choose to have the flag flown on the roof of the Capitol for an additional cost. A signed certificate from the Senator or Representative accompanies the flag, said Dennis Anthony, the flag office assistant supervisor.
“These flags are very important to members because it’s a symbol of sincerity, appreciation, reaching out to constituents,” said Anthony.
After a constituent chooses the size, texture and reason for flying from an order form on his or her member’s Web site, the request is sent to the flag office where boxes of folded flags sit in carts waiting to be lifted to the roof.
Workers raise about 200 to 500 flags a day on the three designated poles for about 30 seconds each, said Anthony.
James Barber, who has raised flags since 1973, said the program really took off during the Bicentennial year when about 63,000 flags were flown, 10,000 on July 4, 1976, alone.
After a flag is flown, the flag is then refolded into a box — stripes facing up to signify that is has been flown — and shipped.
The order takes about two weeks to process and costs about $12 depending on order preferences, Anthony said.
Lane, the spokesman for Bass’s Keene office, said the Keene office receives about six to 12 requests for flags a year.
When Bass is in Keene, she said, he will present flags to schools, organizations and individuals.
About a month ago, Bass went to Langdon Place, where Cummings lives, to attend a conference on Alzheimer’s disease. He remembered the flag given to her in June and saw that Cummings had decided to donate the flag to Langdon Place, where it still flies today.
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