Photos by Mike Weland and Dave Kramer
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It was a dull, gray day in Bonners
Ferry, and a Friday the 13th at that,
but neither the cold of fall or the omen
of the date could stop a good crowd from
turning out at 11 a.m. to watch as the
American flag, with great ceremony, was
hoisted over the Boundary County
Sheriff's Office. "Thank you for joining us today as we share this time to dedicate and raise our American flag," Sheriff David Kramer said in welcoming the crowd. "Our flag is such a symbol of what America stands for, and not only is it an honor to fly the flag at the sheriff's office, but as law enforcement we stand for one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all." |
| It was Sheriff Kramer, after all
these years, who recognized that the
Boundary County Sheriff's Office, a
bastion of public service, was missing
the proud colors. He also noticed flag
posts standing idle at a local mill and
asked Marc Brinkmeyer, Chairman of the
Board of Idaho Forest Group, if they
might consider donating one. "No," he
said. "What you need is a new pole on
which to hoist the colors." Earlier this week a crew, which included Paradise Valley Fire Chief Chet Savage, placed the bright new pole, topped with a golden finial, to be ready for today's ceremony. In attendance were Idaho Forest Group regional manager Chris Pease, Moyie Springs plant controller Suzanne Cullinane, maintenance planner Andy Howe, green end supervisor Les Love and purchaser Don Stolley, who is also deputy Travis Stolley's dad. Sheriff Kramer extended his thanks to each, and to all the men and women of Idaho Forest Group. It's not often that a reporter/photographer is included as a participant in such an event, and even more rare that a reporter/photographer publishes his or her own photo in their coverage. But let me explain. |
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During the ceremony, members of
Bonners Ferry Border Patrol Explorer
Post #190, the honor guard for the
event, stood ready to accept the flag to
be raised. I was working my way to a spot to allow a good shot, but no sooner had I got set than Sheriff Kramer called all the military veterans in the crowd forward. Having once served, and being by chance right there anyway, I stepped in line, not realizing yet that Sheriff Kramer intended to afford us the honor of passing the flag, with due respect and formality, veteran to veteran, to the color guard. As it slowly dawned on me what was happening, and while I was trying to extricate myself from the line, Sheriff Kramer came over and asked for my camera ... |
| ... affording me the honor of accepting the colors, albeit clumsily, from veteran Marc Gray, a friend who years earlier I had photographed as a Badger athlete and who now serves as a law enforcement officer with the U.S. Forest Service, exchange solemn salutes ... |
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... and in turn pass the colors to
dear friend Mike Ashby, a Vietnam
veteran of the U.S. Navy and former
chaplain of American Legion Post 55. In my years, I've been afforded a great many kindnesses, but at the moment none seem to shine quite so brightly as that afforded me today by the thoughtfulness, friendship and kindness of Sheriff Dave Kramer in taking my camera and using it to take these pictures that I now have and share, enabling me to take my place among those who, like me, are proud to have served and proud, too, to stand in a line of veterans privileged ... |
| ... to have played a role in presenting the honor guard with our nation's ensign, the very first flag to ... |
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~ Long may you wave ~
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