Longtime NAVA Member Martin Francis Delivers 30th Flag Day Presentation in San Leandro, California
June 11, 2006
Fifteen-year-old Joseph Olson could have found plenty of ways to spend his Saturday afternoon, but all he really wanted was to learn about the American flag. Joseph of San Leandro was one of about 100 people who took part yesterday in an early celebration of Flag Day at the San Leandro Library. The official holiday will be Wednesday. "I want to learn stuff about the flag that we haven't learned in school," Joseph said. "My father served in Desert Storm and a lot of people died under the flag, so I want to understand more about what motivated them to serve."
The 30th annual Flag Day event was sponsored by the city, the San Leandro Unified School District and the San Lorenzo Unified School District. The presentation was organized by Martin Francis, a flag historian who has lived in SanLeandro for 45 years. Francis has led the event for all three decades. Francis has shown tremendous leadership over the years, said Mayor Shelia Young. "He is the most patriotic man." "I don't think I've ever met anyone in my entire life who loved the flag more than you," she added as she presented a service award to Francis.
The event included speeches, refreshments and music by the San Leandro Municipal Band and various singers. The crux of the program was a 1950s-style slide presentation reminiscent of old government-sponsored safety addresses. The slide show described the history of the American flag and had pictures of its many incarnations. Several politicians attended the ceremony, as did Boy Scouts, religious leaders, and military veterans.