A flag for every person

If organizers succeed, more than 3,000 Memorial Flags, each personalized with the name of a person lost on 9/11, will be flown in New York Harbor during Sail for America on Saturday, September 14, 2002. One purpose of Sail for America is to remember the people who were lost, says Michael Fortenbaugh, Chairman of the Organizing Committee. Sailors from all over the nation are bringing their boats to New York Harbor. This will be the greatest gathering of sailboats in the history of our harbor.

"As part of our mission to remember, continues Mr. Fortenbaugh. We hope to fly a personalized Memorial Flag to honor every person lost on 9/11. First, these flags will be flown in the harbor during Sail for America. Then, they will be given to the families. It is our hope that in 20 or 50 years, a child will open a box in an attic and pull out the flag and remember his or her connection to this singular event in our nations history.

Each Memorial Flag will measure 2 x 3 feet. They will be triangular pennants with a white background and a red and blue border. Each Memorial Flag will be printed with the name of one of the people lost on 9/11. More than 3,000 flags will be produced and flown in New York Harbor during Sail for America. The idea for the Memorial Flags comes from Catherine DeRubbio who is married to a chief in the New York Fire Department. Her husband survived 9/11 but he lost his brother, Ms DeRubbio's brother-in-law.

When Ms. DeRubbio found out about Sail for America through the internet, she sent the following email to Mr. Fortenbaugh: Dear Mr. Fortenbaugh, I am interested in having banners, flags or pennants in remembrance of the people killed at the WTC. My brother-in-law David was one of the firefighters and we also lost a lot of friends.

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About The Author:

Don French is a successful author and regular contributor to http://www.1st-in-flags.com. The flags of the world are symbols of recognition full of beauty and color for each country.