A group of local veterans and residents held a solemn Flag Day ceremony on Saturday, June 14, honoring the anniversary of the adoption of the American flag in 1777.
Held at the Veterans Memorial Green, the event included remarks and a history lesson from veteran Ken Korsu, who also serves as the Commander of the local Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post 1607.
“I can’t tell you how much the flag means to me,” said Korsu, a drafted combat veteran of the 101st Airborne Division of the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers.
Before serving in Vietnam, Korsu was an artillery officer and trained troops in Fort Sill, Oklahoma.
“The original resolution declared that the flag would have 13 alternating red and white stripes for the original colonies, and a blue field with 13 white stars for the colonies,” said Korsu, referring to the flag commonly known as the Betsy Ross flag.
John Dunford, a Middlebury resident, said he was thinking about his veteran father and decided to honor his service at Saturday’s event.
“I was thinking about June 14th and what is going on in Washington D.C.,” Dunford said. “I feel like this is the real reason for Flag Day. Not for someone’s birthday, not a military parade, not a self-serving show. I felt that this is the traditional approach to Flag Day, that’s why I’m here.”
The Southbury Record 