Teaching about Old Glory
By SARAH STEIMER - ssteimer@nwherald.com
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| Jim Mertz, of the Lake in the Hills American Legion, shows how easy it can be to cut out a five-point star by folding it first during a presentation on the history of the American flag at the Crystal Lake Library. (Travis Haughton – thaughton@nwherald.com) |
CRYSTAL LAKE – Jim Mertz wants everyone to know the importance of flags, especially the American flag.
“A flag sends a message to all those who see it,” Mertz said. “When I fly the American flag over my house, it means I love cheeseburgers and fries!”
Mertz, a Lake in the Hills American Legion member, on Thursday spoke to a group of adults at the Crystal Lake Public Library in honor of the upcoming Flag Day, which is Sunday. Mertz said he usually gives his presentations to elementary school students around fifth grade when they take an American history class.
Both the young and old seemed to enjoy a visit from Mertz, who said he’d been recognized in grocery stores before.
“It was … very informative,” Crystal Lake resident John Cooper said. “These are things we should know.”
As fellow American Legion member Gary Jenson displayed U.S. flag replicas of yesteryear, Mertz described and told the history of each with great care. He has been giving his presentation since 1995, and after speaking to about 6,700 people, he has accumulated more and more facts and tips.
Among them:
• When folded, the flag is meant to resemble the three-cornered hat.
• The flag that flew over Pearl Harbor when it was attacked by Japanese forces Dec. 7, 1941, flew over the White House when Japan surrendered in 1945.
• The flag began its current look with 50 stars in 1959 when Alaska and Hawaii joined the United States.
• The blue field of stars should always be in the upper left-hand corner.
• The biggest American flag weighs 1.4 tons and is the size of two-and-a-half football fields.
• When flying the American flag, it should never touch anything else while in the air except the flagpole.
