There were two flags used for the Texas patch. One from the Boy Scouts of America in Dallas and the other from Duncan Elementary School on Ft. Hood. This was the sixth state on the tour. The first stop was at Dallas Salesmenship Club in downtown Dallas on November 18, 2010 with the second stop on November 19, 2010 at the Abraham’s Field House at Ft. Hood, Texas.
The American flag donated by Duncan Elementary for use as a patch to repair the National 9/11 Flag once flew over our special school. Duncan has served the learning needs of military children for nearly thirty years. Those years have seen tremendous growth in the school’s capacity to address the challenges faced by military children as their parents prepare for combat and have served through times of multiple deployments or in conflicts such as Operation Desert Storm and Operation Iraqi Freedom. With pride Duncan sings the Star Spangled Banner and salutes the American flag each morning. Our students also remember September eleventh, proudly singing God Bless America in honor of the memory of those who lost their lives or were injured that sacred day. It is a tribute to the solidarity of our American spirit that a flag, such as the National 9/11 flag, can be created out of the remnants of flags that have served their country well. Flags, such as the one we have contributed, that have become tattered and torn or faded as they have streamed across the sky declaring freedom, dignity, and honor. This flag donated by the students, parents, and staff of Duncan Elementary is a gift expressive of the deep appreciation our school community feels toward those who have made this newly forming national treasure possible and the memory of those who have fallen. Our flag was flying over Duncan November 5, 2009, the day a lone shooter forever changed the Fort Hood community. When Americans die because of terrorism or face the particular challenges of war, symbols that promote hope strengthen our collective vision, urging us on, empowering us to endure. They remind us in our hearts of what it means to be an American. From George Washington crossing the Delaware leading an emerging nation toward victory to those who are now putting their lives on the line in Iraq and Afghanistan we share one thing in common, our uncommon system of governance. It is our privilege as members of the Duncan Elementary community to make this small gift, a token of our reverence for country, “one nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all.”
The patch was made from these flags by cutting out several red stripes from the retired flags. The patch is 13 inches high by 23 inches wide and is located on the first red stripe on the bottom approximately 6 feet from the right edge of the 9/11 Flag (Location R1-4 and R1-5).
The patch was started in Dallas where 49 people began the process of sewing the patch onto the Flag. At Ft. Hood, the patch was completed by 120 people including soldiers and school children who were at the Fort during the shooting the year before.
The remains of Duncan Flag was returned to the school principal and the remains of the Boy Scout Flag was properly disposed of.
