News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Harold Mulligan (left) and Frank Jackson accept a U.S. battle flag from Sen. Ben Westlund. photo by Jim Cornelius
State Senator Ben Westlund presented an American flag carried in combat in Iraq to Sisters' two veterans organizations on Wednesday, March 3.
The flag was taken on a 303d Expeditionary Fighter Squadron combat mission flown by an A-10 Thunderbolt over Baghdad on May 29, 2003.
The flag was originally sent to Iraq as part of a consignment of state and national flags sent to Oregon military elements that didn't have enough flags. Westlund, working through Congressman Greg Walden's office, secured a flag that had been flown over the U.S. Capitol and sent it to Iraq.
The unit returned the flag to Westlund, who, in turn, offered it to the Sisters American Legion Post 86 and Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 8138.
Senator Westlund made clear that the presentation came with a strict stipulation: The flag is to fly at veterans' events such as the Memorial Day ceremony held annually at Camp Polk Cemetery.
Westlund jokingly told the veterans that if they didn't adhere to that stipulation, he would "mount a covert operation and take the flag back."
The assembled veterans assured Westlund that he would not have to go to that trouble.
Commanders Harold Mulligan and Frank Jackson accepted the flag on behalf of their organizations.
Jim Cornelius is editor in chief of The Nugget and author of “Warriors of the Wildlands: True Tales of the Frontier Partisans.” A history buff, he explores frontier history across three centuries and several continents on his podcast, The Frontier Partisans. For more information visit www.frontierpartisans.com.
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