The Essence of Its Presence
Sue Hand- May 16
- 3 min read
Is it the facts of history? Is it the punch of pride? The core of communication? The emotion of memories? Its basic design? What exactly IS the essence of the presence of our beautiful
American flag?
My earliest memories of flags and Memorial Day center in the town of Wyoming and its parade on the Avenue where from toddlerhood through Junior High I celebrated my grandparent’s community. There were two school bands playing patriotic music, both Wyoming and West Wyoming High Schools. There were mounted police from State Police Troop P in Wyoming with their majestic horses. There were Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, proud veterans from the two World Wars, and shiny cars carrying plump dignitaries. At the very end of the parade, an army of school children swirled by, furiously pedaling figure-eights with their flag-and-bunting bedecked bicycles! It was GLORIOUS! I loved the incessant beating of the drums in varying rhythms and cadences, and the COLORS! RED, WHITE, AND BLUE!
My high school years turned my attention homeward, InSide the Back Mountain, where Memorial Day festivities meant gathering at the Dallas American Legion in a long line, waiting for our own parade to begin! In my senior year, I served as head majorette for the Dallas High School Band. When our band director, Mr. Lester Lewis, gave me the signal, I blew my shiny silver whistle! Drums began their drumroll, majorettes began to prance, and the band began to march! My mom teased me about having such power, but it wasn't power I felt. It was pride in my community, my school, my band, and in Mr. Lewis who trained us all so well back in the 1950s and 60s. Yes, I feel pride and gratitude when I see the American flag, whether it's in parades, historical films, or wafting in the breeze above Shavertown. That’s why I painted “Flying High,” a scene I saw somewhere near Scranton. It said, “This is America.”
It's also about history. Remember the flag at the remains of the Twin Towers? Remember the famous words of poet Francis Scott Key, written after the bombardment of Fort McHenry during the War of 1812 when he saw the star spangled banner in the dawn’s early light? I think of the flags on the graves of those who died in the often forgotten Revolutionary War Battle of Wyoming in 1778. Just a few miles away in West Pittston lie the bodies of Benjamin and Stukley Harding and their father (my one famous ancestor!), Captain Stephen Harding, commander of Fort Jenkins. They and others are honored around June 30th each year at the “First to Fall” Commemoration which leads up to the Battle of Wyoming’s July 4th event at the Wyoming Monument. That's history!
Nearly every Memorial Day for the past five decades that my studio has been here on Main Street, I've gathered with friends and neighbors at the flagpole in the heart of Dallas to honor the memory of the men and women of the Back Mountain who have served our nation in all our wars. There are speeches, songs, prayers, and tears. Inspiring during the day, the monument still holds me in awe in the glow of evening’s lights. I had to paint it! Our American flag communicates. There's the positional communication of the flag hoisted high or lowered to half-staff. Remember those World War 2 Marines in that dramatic iconic image as they hoisted our flag high on top of Mount Suribachi during the Battle of Iwo Jima? They communicated, “WE WON!” and became a huge part of America’s visual history!
The stars and stripes are undoubtedly used as decorations on everything from plates, cups, mugs, towels, greeting cards, wrapping paper, banners, and more. In fact, the design of the American flag is recognized as one of the most effective graphic designs in modern history! I love tradition. In the early 1960s, I stood proudly at the Dallas flag pole as part of the high school band. In the mid 1990s I stood proudly at the Dallas flag pole and watched my father-in-law, Mayor Paul LaBar, participate in the commemoration. Now in the mid 2020s, I stand proudly at the Dallas flag pole and watch as some of my art students play in the band and march along the same route I once took. I will unapologetically wave my flag with pride and gratitude for our history, our traditions. I will revel in the essence of the presence of our American flag. Care to join me? There are enough flags and flagpoles for all of us everywhere InSide the Back Mountain and beyond!
This article originally appeared in the May 2025 publication of InSide the Back Mountain.
