Sheldon Avenue Of Flags Inspires Clifton, NJ Avenue Of Flags

Date posted - June 14, 2012

Sheldon, Iowa — In the United States, today is flag day — a day set aside to commemorate the adoption of the flag of the United States, which happened by resolution of the Second Continental Congress on June 14, 1777.

We talked to Bernie Wissink with American Legion Post 145 of Sheldon, who’s in charge of Sheldon’s Avenue of flags. He says Sheldon has had the Avenue of Flags for many years.

Wissink says they ordered flag kits, which include the flag, the flag pole, and the lawn socket. He tells us about how to donate a flag.

He says flags are to honor men or women, living or deceased who served in the armed forces of the United States or its reserve components, and who received an honorable discharge. He says the town of Sheldon, which has about 5000 people, flies over 650 flags.

The flags are flown six times each year.

Wissink says volunteers put out the flags, and they fly from 7 AM to 5 PM. He says they’re always looking for volunteers to put them out and take them down.

An interesting side bar — KIWA manager Walt Pruiksma’s parents visited from New Jersey years ago and Walt’s father Walter Pruiksma, a World War II vet, was so impressed he went back home to Clifton, New Jersey and helped to start Clifton’s Ave of Flags.

Pruiksma says their city hall is built on 11 acres, where the old US Quarantine used to be — where animals coming into the country were kept for a time to make sure they were disease-free. He says it wasn’t too tough to sell their city council on the idea of an Avenue of Flags on the news City Hall property.

Pruiksma says the city of Clifton is home to about 80,000 people, and they fly over 1400 flags.

Pruiksma says the Clifton Avenue of Flags keeps growing every year.

We here at KIWA would like to thank everyone involved in putting out Sheldon’s Avenue of Flags to help us remember and honor those who have bravely served our country.