Members of the Marine Corps League Detachment 1063 salute as the U.S. flag is raised during a ceremony Tuesday dedicating the new flag pole in front of the Veterans Food Pantry of Northwest Ohio.
LIMA — An 80 year-old flagpole found a new home Tuesday at the Veterans Food Pantry of Northwest Ohio. Held on Flag Day, the rededication ceremony celebrated the flagpole’s relocation and its history.
Denis Glenn, a member of the food pantry’s Board of Directors, said that the flagpole is part of the city’s history and will continue to be so for decades to come.
“(This flagpole) has watched over the Lima community for over 80 years now. And now it’s in a position to watch over the Lima community again for another 100 years, carrying the flag of our nation and denoting the freedom and democracy that we have in this country,” he said.
The flagpole, which was erected prior to WWII at the former U.S. Navy and Marine Corps Reserve Center adjacent to Schoonover Park, was donated to the Veterans Food Pantry in October 2017 by Lima City Council.
Mayor Sharetta Smith, who issued a proclamation declaring June 14, 2022 as “USN/USMC Flagpole Day” in Lima, said the city was grateful for its role in the flagpole’s relocation.
“We were honored to be a part of erecting this symbol of democracy and American freedom here in our community,” she said. “This community honors veterans and this community shows reverence to what the flag means to the country.”
It took the hard work of many volunteers and area businesses over the last five years to refurbish the pole and install it in its new location.
The Metal Coating Co. of Lima cleaned the flagpole and provided corrosion protection. RMF Nooter Co. provided weld repair. Core Consulting Inc. performed an engineering and architectural study to assure compliance with zoning codes. Mercy Health-St. Rita’s provided lighting for the flag and the pole was installed by Tuttle Construction.
Glenn said that the flagpole symbolizes everything that the Veterans Food Pantry stands for. The pantry has supported veterans in the community facing food insecurity for over 35 years.
“It ties in beautifully with the Veterans Food Pantry because we support and supply foodstuffs to all veterans regardless of where they served and which branch of the service they were in,” he said. “We the Veterans Food Pantry of Northwest Ohio are now the proud owners of that flagpole and we’re going to continue to foster it and continue to see it fly the flag of our nation.”
