Columbus Dispatch...
Vets buy 1,200 flags for a proper pledge  
November 8, 2011 

Veterans rushed in to help the Columbus City Schools after a new school-board directive required that each day begin with the Pledge of Allegiance, but about 1,000 classrooms lacked American flags. 

The district was forced on the first day of school to use paper flags, plastic ones, projections onto walls and even displays on a computer screen to meet the need. 

After a Dispatch story about the shortage, Columbus-area veterans started planning to assault the problem. 

Weeks later, Columbus City Schools had 1,200 brand-new classroom flags. 

“I said we’ll do whatever we need to do,” said Bill Seagraves, executive director of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Ohio Charities. “I said we’ll buy them all or we’ll buy a portion of them.” 

The VFW bought 700. The local American Legion purchased another 500. 

“They didn’t have enough flags for the kids to have something to pledge to,” said Pete Margaritis, commander of the American Legion Ohio 12th District Council. 

“We decided that it was within our purview to be able to provide those flags, and that’s exactly what we did,” he said. 

The 2-foot-by-4-foot cloth flags — each made in the United States and attached to a wall-mounted pole — were delivered late last month and already have been distributed to classrooms. The donation cost the two groups almost $10,000 combined 

“One of our purposes that the Veterans of Foreign Wars was founded, and the American Legion, is the promotion of patriotism, and that’s one of the things we do best,” said Gerald Ward, VFW state commander. “This is part of it — a prime example.” 

Although there are no penalties for violators, saying the pledge in the absence of a U.S. flag is a breach of the federal Flag Code. 

That code requires that the pledge “should be rendered by standing at attention facing the flag with the right hand over the heart.” Those in uniform should “remain silent, face the flag, and render the military salute.” 

Eight days before the start of classes this year, the Board of Education decided to require all district schools to lead students in the Pledge of Allegiance at the start of each day — apparently without knowing that each classroom didn’t have a flag. 

That sent Columbus school principals scrambling to get flags. 

Before the policy change, schools were encouraged to lead students in the pledge but not required. Even now, no student is required to take part in the pledg, district officials said. 

Board of Education member Mike Wiles, who pushed for the pledge requirement, thanked the veterans at the school board meeting on Tuesday. 

“We needed 1,000 flags. We got 1,200,” Wiles said. “We just can’t thank you enough.” 

In addition to the flags, the veterans also donated the district 100 video DVDs about flag history and etiquette. 

Read this and other stories at the Columbus Dispatch