This is the twenty-fifth state patch made for the National 9/11 Flag restoration project. It also marks the half way point in the National 9/11 Flag restoration tour. The National 9/11 Flag was brought to Greensburg, Kansas on Friday, May 27, 2011 for a display and a special restoration where two pieces from the original National 9/11 Flag were sewn into the Flag by people from Greensburg who had originally stitched the Flag back together during the New York Says Thank You rebuild weekend in September of 2008. It was then brought to the newly rebuilt Kiowa County High School in Greensburg for the formal Kansas State stitching ceremony.
One of the large piece measuring 68 inches high and 60 inches wide including another measurement of 52 inches high and 68 inches wide located in the center of the Flag covering both red and white stripes from rows 7, 8, 9 and 10 was sewn into the Flag and replaced four of the temporary American Flags from Greensburg that were added to the Flag when the original restoration was done. In addition another large piece of the original flag 38 inches high and 65 inches wide which included part of the bottom three rows of stars in the blue field was sewn into the National 9/11 Flag replacing one of the temporary American Flags from Greensburg that was also added to the Flag when the original restoration was done in 2008.
There were three patches that comprised the actual state patches. One of the patches measuring 2 inches high by 4 inches wide (called the Steve Dawson Patch) was made from one of the flags taken off the National 9/11 Flag the previous day to make room for the original flag material. It is located on the fourth white stripe approximately 3.5 feet from the right edge.
The second patch measuring 28 inches high by 14.25 inches wide was made from a 6 ft by 10 ft. flag donated by the Kiowa County High School which flew over the new school in 2010. It is located on the far left edge of the Flag on the bottom of the Blue Field.
The last two patches were made from another of the flags removed from the National 9/11 Flag when the original red/white patch was sewn on. One of the patches is 12.5 inches high by 5 wide and the other 6.5 inches high by 25 inches wide. They are located on the fourth white stripe approximately 5 feet from the right edge .
The four Kansas patches (including the Steve Dawson patch) was sewn by 383 people during the public ceremony on May 29th. They included a number of WW II veterans including a survivor of the Bataan Death March and a Pearl Harbor survivor. The two original patches were sewn on by others including some of the ladies who had sewn the flag together in September of 2008.
The Flag (known as the Steve Dawson Flag) which the special 2 by 4 inch white patch was made from was refolded and given to the Dawson Family. This flag had flown over the Senior Citizen Center in Greensburg, Kansas during the 2007 tornado.
The remains of all the flags used in making the patches have been retuned to the donors.
The Flag Team on site with the National 9/11 Flag consisted of Jeff Parness, Carolyn and Denny Deters, Wendy Hauser, Lori Sullivan, Veronica Christensen, Tony Bacalle and Patty Lanni and FDNY Firefighters Brian Fitzpatrick and Jamal Braithwaite.
The location of the five Kansas patches are shown on the picture below.
