An anonymous Seattle resident is returning the U.S. flag that was
taken from the U.S. Courthouse in Seattle
during an anti-war demonstration on May 5, 1970. Betty Udesen/Seattle Times
Posted on 10/01/2001 8:22:32 AM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
Headline: [Act of allegiance: Attacks motivate man to return a flag captured by anti-war demonstrators 31 years ago ]
We meet in the lobby of the paper. "Here it is," says my visitor.
I almost expect the flag to have been packed in some heavy-duty container, it's had such a long and historic journey. Instead it's simply there, neatly folded, inside a paper shopping bag.
I take possession of the flag, which measures 4 feet 8 inches by 8 feet. The colors are still bright. The heavy-duty nylon doesn't fade.
My visitor asks that his name not be printed when I write about how this flag came into his hands 31 years ago, and why he's bringing it back. "Unfortunately," he says, "there are still some people in this country who won't understand my journey."
But given what our country has gone through in the past two weeks, he tells me, he became convinced it was time for this particular flag to go home, back to the U.S. Courthouse on Fifth Avenue. The flag has been hidden for too long, he says, since it was pulled down during an anti-war demonstration on May 5, 1970.
An anonymous Seattle resident is returning the U.S. flag that was
taken from the U.S. Courthouse in Seattle
during an anti-war demonstration on May 5, 1970. Betty Udesen/Seattle Times
"I'm just a guy with a family, mortgage and all that, trying to make sense of the insanity and horror of Sept. 11," he tells me. "I'd like you to return the flag to the courthouse after its 31 years in my basement."
If you're of a certain age, you'll have a recollection of that time long ago.
On May 4, 1970, four students at Kent State University were killed when National Guardsmen opened fire on anti-war demonstrators. That resulted in nationwide demonstrations the next day, including one at the University of Washington campus. Eventually some 5,000 marched on the freeway from the University District to downtown, with a smaller number ending up at the U.S. Courthouse.
My visitor provides me with enough details that I believe this truly is the flag taken down from the courthouse.
I also call Walt Crowley, director of HistoryLink.org and author of "Rites of Passage," a memoir of Seattle during that time. He knows my visitor.
"I could not imagine him making this up," Crowley says.
Crowley understands why my visitor wants to return the flag. "The vast majority of people who opposed the war in Vietnam were in no shape or form anti-American. They were opposed to a destructive policy," he says. The tragedy of Sept. 11 shook all Americans, no matter what their politics.
I ask my visitor to recount that Tuesday afternoon in 1970. He was at the demonstration, he says, across the street from the courthouse, taking photos for the UW Daily. He watched a group of people take down the flag from one of two flagpoles by the courthouse steps.
"Things swirled for five or 10 minutes. It was pretty chaotic. The police were chasing people," he says. "The flag was thrust into my hands by a fleeing demonstrator, who later was indicted as one of the conspiratorial 'Seattle Seven.' He knew me and knew that I wouldn't tell. I tucked the flag under my shirt and then headed home, deciding things were getting too weird."
Over the years, he hauled the flag from one home to another, never telling anyone about it. He finished college, lucked out with a low draft-lottery number, traveled the world, returned home, got married, bought a house, got a responsible job, became a dad.
It is the story of thousands of men now in their 50s.
Oh, sometimes he grumbled about politics in America, about "the erosion of our human rights," about the "American fast-foodization of the world." But as the 1970s became a long-ago memory, his beliefs, too, began changing.
"I realized our freedoms are more extensive and stronger than any other country's," he says. "We can debate our response to terrorism. In a lot of other countries, you'd bow to what the military said."
My visitor tells me that he had considered returning the flag in past years. But whether it was Ronald Reagan or Bill Clinton as president, he felt let down by them.
The flag stayed in the drawer of an antique cabinet.
Shortly after Sept. 11, his wife put up an American flag at their home, joining the millions of other households doing the same thing. Thirty-one years ago, he'd have scoffed at the idea. Now it seemed the right thing to do. The flag represented the greatness and the hope of America. He decided that the courthouse flag also needed to fly again.
"Now its journey and mine should be completed," he tells me.
"I've watched the multi-angled videos of the planes flying into the World Trade Center towers so many times that my eyes and mind ache.
"One antidote to those surreal images is to be able to walk by the courthouse again and look up to the flagpole and smile at my flag, our flag."
The General Services Administration, which is in charge of the U.S. Courthouse building, says it'll accept the flag. But Bill DuBray, the regional executive director for the agency, said it likely will not be flown.
"We use the flag to honor not only the country, but under certain circumstances, individuals," he said. "It didn't seem appropriate in this case because a stolen article is being returned."
As I said, old as it is, this symbol of America is in fine shape, although it does have a musty smell from those years in a drawer.
But I know that will go away if once again that historic flag soars in the fresh air.
Erik Lacitis: 206-464-2337. His e-mail address is: elacitis@seattletimes.com.
Well, it's about time!
CHARLIE RIEDEL / THE ASSOCIATED PRESSBut his friend has a bit more growing up to do:
Crowley understands why my visitor wants to return the flag. "The vast majority of people who opposed the war in Vietnam were in no shape or form anti-American. They were opposed to a destructive policy," he says. The tragedy of Sept. 11 shook all Americans, no matter what their politics.
Delusional, its the other way around. There were some principled Americans who opposed the war, but the majority were just there for the ride, anti-war, anti-American, nihilists..
Memoirs of a Banana Republican:
|
Jimmy’s Flag |
What is this reporter talking about? A low draft number implied induction into the army.
And how can this gentrified hippie claim that he and his comrades were not anti-American when they desecrated our nation's flag?
I didn't have any difficulty finding a flag on September 11th. It's where I have always kept it. My husband and I are veterans, and have always been patriotic. In our neighborhood we were the only ones of our generation that flew old glory on patriotic holidays, although there were still some WWII vets that flew theirs. Slowly over the years some of the younger set began to get into the spirit and American flags began to appear on those holidays too. On September 11th, Old Glory began to be displayed everywhere. I am glad to see the brand new flags proudly displayed beside the slightly faded ones that have been used for many years. There have even been news articles about people stealing flags. How unpatriotic!
We have always gone to church. Over the past few weeks it's been difficult to find parking, and the pews are packed. I am happy for that too.
During the Clinton years we had people in this country that were willing to excuse his anti americanism and anti military sentiments. They were willing to excuse his lies and numerous bad choices. They would shout down morality by telling us that character doesn't matter. This morning the Supreme court has sent the message that morality DOES matter, and one particular liar can't argue cases in their court.
Looks like America has come back to her senses. God Bless America!
Nominated for the third category in the Neville Chamberlain Awards
Winston Churchill “Restoring The Sanity” Medal of Honor
For best efforts in disrupting the peace-niks and/or essays/activites with impact.
Voting and ceremonies here at Free Republic on October 24, 2001 in honor [choke] of the United Nations 56th Anniversary.
View my profile page for more info…
That is both the ethical core and psychological heart of what it means to be a part of the left. That is where the gratification comes from. To see yourself as a social redeemer. To feel anointed. In other words: To be progressive is itself the most satisfying narcissism.
That is why it is of little concern to them that their socialist schemes have run aground, burying millions of human beings in their wake. That is why they don't care that their panaceas have caused more human suffering than all the injustices they have ever challenged. That is why they never learn from their "mistakes." That is why the continuance of Them is more important than any truth.
If you were active in the so-called "peace" movement or in the radical wing of the civil rights causes, why would you tell the truth? Why would you tell people that no, you weren't really a "peace activist," except in the sense that you were against America's war. Why would you draw attention to the fact that while you called yourselves "peace activists," you didn't oppose the Communists' war, and were gratified when America's enemies won? [End Excerpt]
Bump!
Bump!
If by desecrated you mean stolen, then you'd be correct; however it doesn't exactly fit the definition. Note he did not burn it, stomp or spit on it...
he kept it safe all this years. Now he has returned it. It's called repentance, and it must have took a smidge of courage to return it to a reporter.
He does not speak for his comrades, and according to his account he was not the one who took it down, in fact he left because things got 'wierd.'
Webster's New International Dictionary, 2nd edn, 1959, p. 707
Desecration of the flag does not require soiling, burning or spitting on it. All it requires is that it be removed from its place of honor, diverted from its intended purpose or put to an unworthy use. These all occured when that flag was taken, and it was perpetuated by him when he accepted it and then tucked it away for 30 years as a captured trophy. There are men who have given their lives to keep the American flag from enemy hands, and you dare to commend this skunk for his "smidgen of courage."
Do I like what they did when they protested and removed the flag? NO. Would I say that action is correct today? NO.
But I live in Northeast Ohio and I was in high school when this happened. I knew people who attended Kent State at the time. I was too young and unopinionated that day to really care much one way or the other about "the war" -- but May 5, 1970 was not unlike September 12, 2001 -- before you blast me hear me out.
It was almost public chaos in this area. TV, radio, teachers, store owners, neighbors (yes, we used to talk to our neighbors back then) -- there was no one who was not absolutely outraged about our OWN -STATE- GOVERNMENT SHOOTING UNARMED STUDENTS. I don't wish to start an arguement about Kent State or the Vietnam War. There were many marxists/socialist who made great strides during that time, much to our chagrin.
I surmise this man has had this weigh on his soul for some thirty years now. Yes, it takes a smidgen of courage to admit publically you made a mistake: he could have pitched the flag in the garbage the next day, the next year, the next decade.
I suppose by your outrage at my unimportant opinion, Mr. Bonaparte, that you have never regretted anything you have ever done in your life. If that is so then more power to you; someday I would like to shake your hand because I have never met a human being that had never made a mistake he did not lament.
As stated before, I tried to put myself in this guy's shoes on that day. It was a line in the sand -- there were a few other students at other colleges killed in the ensuing weeks but Kent State is the one everyone remembers. Even today people remark "oh yea, the Pentagon got hit too..."
The nomination stands.
I might accept that as true at face value if I hadn't been around to see these protesters at the time and talk to many of them. The most vocal were not opposed to war. They were not even opposed to the US being in a war. What they opposed was the US fighting Communists. They proudly carried the Viet Cong flag and regularly desecrated the US flag. They were revolutionaries and they supported the enemy. They hated America.
Maybe this guy was really against war. Maybe he wasn't a commie sympathizer. But those who directed and lead the marches he was in most likely were.
I'm glad he has returned it. But he didn't do it publicly, he did it anonymously.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.