American Legion post brings flag education to MPMS students
Published 1:05 pm Saturday, March 26, 2022
- Submitted photoPost 519 members and MacIntyre Park Middle School students from left to right are, Mary Beatty, Bob Herbert, Tyler McEntire, Post Commander John Murphy, Zacariah Hampton, Mr. Davenport, Principal, Ty'Mararion Stevens, Celeste Devoe and Betty Banks.
The Department of Georgia’s James Hicks American Legion Post 519 and American Legion Auxiliary Unit 519 of Thomasville recently held a flag education program for 75 seventh-graders at MacIntyre Park Middle School.
Students and post members recited the Pledge of Allegiance followed by interaction with the students about flag etiquette, history of the flag and the meaning of the colors and stars of the flag.
Students Tyler McEntire, Zacariah Hampton and Ty’Mararion Stephens assisted Post Commander John Murphy and Post Officer Bob Herbert in the folding of the flag. As the flag was folded, the meaning of each of the 13 folds of the flag were stated.
Legion Post 519 was named for Sgt. James Hicks who was the first African-American from Thomas County killed in action in 1941 while in Europe during World War II.
The American Legion is the world’s largest organization that serves veterans, their families and the community. Founded in 1919, by veterans returning from Europe after World War I, the American Legion was later chartered as an official American Patriotic Society under Title 36 of the United States code.
