THE CARING FOR TROOPS FLAG

The flag was purchased by Dan Hulbert to fly in front of his house during the Serbian conflict. The flag was torn down from his house by a vandal and he found it lying in the dirt. He cleaned it up and kept it inside his house. The first package he sent overseas during Operation Iraqi Freedom contained this flag. It was shipped to Marine Sgt. Brian Paul of Bend. Paul was then stationed at Camp Commando 30 miles north of Kuwait City. The flag was displayed in the battalion tent. The flag moved forward as ground forces entered Iraq. The flag was at the Jalibah Southeast Airbase, An Numaniyah Airbase, and a city along the Euphrates River called Al Hillah.

This is a picture of our flag in front of Saddam's Palace in Ramadi. Our local Marine is far left. He and two other Marines in this picture will be at the flag ceremony. Sgt. Paul spent two tours in Iraq.

The flag was also at Saddam’s Palace in Babylon and was displayed on the wall of the command operations center from which a three-star general directed Marine movements during Operation Iraqi Freedom.

When Sgt. Paul returned home from his first tour he let CaringForTroops (CFT) use it as a display. It was used in the Veterans Day Parade, as well as the Rex T. Barber Bridge dedication. While on display at the CFT storefront, it was vandalized again. This time it was torn at the top. The flag was then repaired by a Viet Nam veteran.

Sgt. Paul received the flag back, and he took it back to Iraq on his second tour. This time Sgt. Paul was stationed at Ar Ramadi. The flag hung on the wall of the command center where maps were drawn up of battlefields of places like Fallujah. Sgt. Paul took a picture of his unit and the flag in front of Saddam’s Palace at Ar Ramadi. Over 20 Marines were killed at this base while Sgt. Paul was stationed there.

Sgt. Paul again let CFT use the flag as a display. Hearing about the flag, Senator Ben Westlund has sdcheduled the flag to be flown at the State Capitol. The flag will fly at our State Capitol on March 2, 2005.