SAR honors Center Twp. man with flag
CENTER TWP — Nearly every day for the past 12 years, Edward Walker, 87, has been raising and lowering an American flag on a flagpole across the street from his home in the Hutchison Plan housing development.
Since he started his self-appointed task, he has replaced the pulley system, had the pole repainted, installed a light that allows the flag to be flown at night and replaced worn-out flags, paying for them himself.
For his dedication to keeping Old Glory flying, the Butler Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution presented Walker with a certificate of appreciation and a new 8-by-12-foot American flag Wednesday.
“I'm accepting this as part of the community but not as me,” said Walker who received the certificate from Doug Tapager, president of the Christopher Gist Chapter of the SAR, and member Glenn Miller.
Walker, an Army veteran of the Korean War and an Armco retiree, said he has lived in his neighborhood for 30 years. In 2008, he said, he decided to repair the 55-foot-tall pole on Hilltop Drive near his house.
“It was in really bad shape. I saw the pulley system on top was worn out and had to get a friend from West Penn Power to bring a bucket truck to get at the top,” Walker said.
He also decided to have the pole repainted.
“I got Center Township to donate the paint and went down to Clair Boring Painting to see what they could do,” he said, noting the painting business would donate a truck for the job as long as Walker paid for the two painters' time.
“I went around and got $5 from all the neighbors to pay the $200 for the guys to paint it,” he said. “Some people wanted to give more. I have really great neighbors all the way around.”
Walker said he runs the flag up the pole as soon as he's up each morning, and since he added a solar-powered light to the pole, in the summer he can let the flag fly 24 hours a day.
In the winter, he lowers the flag at 4 or 5 p.m. and stores it in his house overnight.
He's careful to observe flag etiquette in his daily task, for instance never allowing the flag to touch the ground while it's being raised or lowered.
But despite Walker's care, the daily unfurling takes its toll. Miller estimates Walker goes through two or thee flags every year.
Miller learned about Walker's daily flag duty because Walker works as a greeter at his Thompson-Miller Funeral Home.
But Wednesday, Tapager and Miller presented Walker with a replacement flag courtesy of the Christopher Gist Chapter of the SAR.
“It's an organization of people who can prove lineage to someone who fought in the Revolutionary War,” Tapager said. “Gist was the man who escorted George Washington to Fort Le Boeuf in 1753.”
“We wanted to give him some recognition for all the work he's done. He's a patriotic citizen,” Miller said.
“One of the things we do is present a flag every year to acknowledge someone who respects the country and honors it,” Tapager said.
