L-R: John Medeiros, Mike Lemaire, Dan Corcoran, and Joe Medeiros raise the United States Coast Guard flag under the US flag on Main Street at the 195 overpass in Fairhaven. The site is dedicated to Charles F. Albaugh, who made sure the US Flag was flying at the overpass after the 911 attacks in 2001. The North Fairhaven Improvement Association erected the flag pole. Photo by Glenn C. Silva.
Submitted
The Charles F. Albaugh Memorial American Flag remains proudly displayed on Main Street in Fairhaven at the I-195 overpass and will now include periodic displays of other branches of the military.
Sponsored and erected by the North Fairhaven Improvement Association through the efforts of then president Bob Cormier, this flag pole and site were dedicated to U. S. Marine veteran Charles Albaugh almost twenty years ago for his tireless placing of American Flags on the fence of the overpass following the attack of 9/11.
The area has been maintained through those years by John Medeiros and Roland Lavallee, and currently by Michael Lemaire and Michael Manley. Mr. Lemaire, who retired from the Army in 2011, is now expanding this tribute to include all branches of the military service.
During the year each organization, Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, Marines and Merchant Marines, will have their own flags waving directly below the American flag for a two-week period, starting on the date of inception of that branch of service.
On Tuesday, August 4th at 8:00 a.m. a small group of veterans from the Coast Guard began this new tradition by raising their flag as a salute. They were joined by veterans of other branches.
L-R: Paul Wesly, Joe Medieros, and John Medeiros pause for a photo with the memorial to Charles F. Albaugh on Main Street at the 195 overpass in Fairhaven on 8/4/20, after raising the United States Coast Guard flag under the US flag. Photo by Glenn C, Silva.
Present at this event were John Medeiros, Paul Wesley, Dan Corcoran, Joe Medeiros and Mike Lemaire as well as several spectators. They were also invited to sign a book that will keep a record of who attends the flag raisings.
The flag will remain displayed directly under the American flag for a two-week period, then replaced again by Albaugh’s Marine Corps flag.
On September 18th the ceremony will continue as the flag of the Air Force is shown for a two-week period, followed on October 13th by the Navy flag, November 10th by the Marine Corps flag, May 22nd by the Merchant Marine flag, June 14th with the Army flag, and again on August 4th with the Coast Guard.
Mr. Lemaire commented that they were simply “trying to get people involved that were in that branch of the service.”
The organizers are now establishing a Facebook page for “The Charles Albaugh Memorial Flag.” When it is completed anyone will be able to see and participate in the events as they are scheduled.
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