Posted on 04/18/2003 6:52:32 AM PDT by GailA
Madisonville folk raise high-flying flag
When alderman ran idea up the proverbial pole, everyone in the town saluted, built it
A 1,800-square-foot Old Glory atop a 150-foot flagpole flies over U.S. 411 Thursday in Madisonville. It is the centerpiece of a new Veterans’ Flag Memorial, and the flagpole is reputed to be the tallest in Tennessee.
By LOLA ALAPO, alapol@knews.com April 18, 2003
MADISONVILLE, Tenn. - Monroe County residents have erected what's thought to be the tallest flagpole in Tennessee in honor of veterans and those fighting in the Middle East.
At 150 feet tall, the flagpole stands at the U.S. 411 bypass in Madisonville. It carries a flag that measures 30 feet by 60 feet.
The second tallest flagpole stands at 130 feet at the Opryland Hotel in Nashville, according to project organizer and Madisonville Alderman Irad Lee.
The flag project, called the Veterans' Flag Memorial, is Lee's brainchild.
"Everybody in the town went crazy over it," he said.
Lee and many residents spent weeks researching to determine where the tallest pole was located in the Volunteer State. And then they outdid the Opryland.
"We didn't want to miss the mark, so we went with 150 feet," he said.
After raising more than $34,000 to pay for it, Lee ordered the pole and two flags from a Texas supplier. The company shipped the pole, which cost about $20,000, in five pieces and volunteers put the memorial together.
Doug Hale, Lee's neighbor of 30 years, who also owns a funeral home, donated a plot of land at Sunset Cemetery. The pole was planted on March 20, coincidentally a day after the Iraqi war broke out.
The locals had originally planned to hoist the flag on Armed Forces Day, May 17, but that changed when the war began. A week after the pole went up, the flag was unfurled.
"With all of the things going on in the Middle East, we decided to raise it in tribute," said Connie White, a city hall clerk.
Residents will still go ahead with plans for a dedication in May. The colors will be taken down a day before the ceremony and a new flag will be hoisted on May 17. President Bush and other dignitaries have been invited to attend.
Residents are also laying a brick walkway around the pole. Members of the public can purchase a brick for $35. Former prisoners of war and the families of soldiers missing or killed in action will not be charged, White said.
"The brick sales will create the perpetual fund to maintain flag replacement for years to come," said Jean Lee, Irad's wife.
Brick sales already total $22,590, and contributions toward the flag are still coming in, she said.
For more information, contact Madisonville City Hall at (423) 442-9416.
Lola Alapo may be reached at 865-342-6376.
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