Rewarding the flying of Old Glory

A string of phone calls nine years ago has resulted in American Legion Post 24 recognizing more than 120 businesses in Champaign, Ill., for flying the U.S. flag.

Community members were upset that a business on a main intersection in Champaign was flying an unserviceable flag and wanted Post 24 to take action. Instead of highlighting its wrongdoing, the post decided to award those in the community that were properly displaying the flag.

Once a month since 2006, members of Post 24 have hand-delivered a framed certificate that salutes businesses for flying Old Glory.

"Very seldom will you see an unserviceable flag flying after a business receives the award," said Chuck Zelinsky, a member of Post 24 and a member of the Legion’s 100th Anniversary Observance Committee. "It’s been a very successful program for the post, and it’s been very heartwarming."

Zelinsky drives around the community looking for businesses to honor, and no one has received the award twice due to new development over the years. He said businesses will often share their motivation for flying the U.S. flag. For example, one privately-owned publishing company was flying the flag to honor two employees who were serving in Desert Storm at the time.

The post has also received a lot of publicity in the community from their flag reward program thanks to a local radio station. WDWS 1400-AM personality Ann Rhoton announces Post 24’s flag reward winner the first Sunday of every month. Before the announcement, Rhoton will play the march "American Legion Forever" and afterward will dedicate a patriotic song to the winner. Rhoton said if listeners miss the announcement, she receives phone calls asking who the winner was.

The winner is also featured in Champaign’s local paper, the News-Gazette, in Post 24’s monthly newsletter and on a bulletin board inside the post home.

"We would like to see a (U.S.) flag that’s not 100 percent correct than not seeing a flag fly at all," Zelinsky said.