Bemidji Elks & American Legion Hold Ceremony for National Flag Day

The Ralph Gracie American Legion Post #14, in conjunction with Bemidji Elks Lodge #1052, held a special ceremony last Friday for National Flag Day, displaying the colorful history of the American flag throughout the years.

Flag Day was first established as a national holiday in 1914 by President Woodrow Wilson, with President Harry Truman signing the observance into law in 1949. Ever since, Elks Lodges across the country hold a ceremony for the holiday as an obligatory event on June 14 every year.

“It makes for a wonderful ceremony of celebrating the history of the American flag right from the inception of our country to modern times,” said Bill Batchelder, 2024 Flag Day Co-Chair. “It’s an eloquent – it’s patriotic, it’s colorful, it’s historic. That’s what we really want the Bemidji community to rally behind this, to pay tribute to our veterans, to pay tribute to the American flag on what it stands for and for who it stands for, and the individuals that built our great country.”

The US flag can be interpreted in a variety of ways, but many view the flag as a symbol of the American dream.

“You know what I think of the flag? I know that it means many different things to many different people, but fundamentally, it’s about our country, and it represents the ideals that we want for ourselves, for our neighbors, for our family, for our nation,” stated Bemidji Mayor Jorge Prince at the ceremony. “I’ve been so blessed. I mean, many people know I came to the country, I didn’t even speak the language. Here I am 52 years later, so to speak – I’m the mayor of the community. What a blessing, what an honor, but that’s what the American dream is.”

This year’s ceremony was held at Ralph Gracie Memorial Park, which was named after someone originally from Bemidji who served during World War I.

“He was flying for the French government, and he was shot down, killed in action over the English Channel,” added Batchelder. “So he was the first Bemidji-born American serviceman to lose his life in the line of duty. He’s buried in historic Greenwood Cemetery. The gravesite is very modest…but our community has honored him with the park next to the university.”

At the ceremony, Bemidji Scout Kate Worne promoted her American flag retirement drop-off boxes. If you have a flag that you would like to see retired, you can drop it off in one of the many boxes located throughout Bemidji, including one at City Hall.