While doing some final excavating at the cemetery over the past several days ...

[creskol]

... I found this flag all clumped up with the dirt. I can only guess this has been buried since the late 1960's when the drunk on the bulldozer destroyed the graveyard. At any rate, I brought it home and soaked it in lukewarm water with Dawn Dishwashing Soap, and even though the flag is very fragile, badly stained by the red dirt, and is pretty torn and tattered, I was pleasantly surprised at the end result. Being Veteran's Day, I felt compelled to share it here. Otherwise, I probably would not have posted it as I'm not sure it is really a worthy find. It will be a wall hanger for me.

 

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[E-Trac-Ohio]

Nice save !

 

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[Arthur Neto]

... I found this flag all clumped up with the dirt. I can only guess this has been buried since the late 1960's when the drunk on the bulldozer destroyed the graveyard. At any rate, I brought it home and soaked it in lukewarm water with Dawn Dishwashing Soap, and even though the flag is very fragile, badly stained by the red dirt, and is pretty torn and tattered, I was pleasantly surprised at the end result. Being Veteran's Day, I felt compelled to share it here. Otherwise, I probably would not have posted it as I'm not sure it is really a worthy find. It will be a wall hanger for me.
View attachment 2114512

It fought its own fight. Preserve it well!

 

[jimther]

48 stars, and a good save!!!

Tony… take another look. That’s a 50-star flag. So, after Alaska and Hawaii became states. A 48 star flag has all equal rows of stars. This one has five rows of 6 stars (30) + four rows of 5 stars (20) = 50

 

[Tony in SC]

I know it was a 50 star flag, but it's missing 2 stars. It has been through hard times but old Glory is still there!

 

[Red_desert]

That sounds like a great idea!

 

[creskol]

Tony… take another look. That’s a 50-star flag. So, after Alaska and Hawaii became states. A 48 star flag has all equal rows of stars. This one has five rows of 6 stars (30) + four rows of 5 stars (20) = 50

I know it was a 50 star flag, but it's missing 2 stars. It has been through hard times but old Glory is still there!

Back in the late 1960s, the north section of the Piedmont Baptist church cemetery was destroyed by a contractor the church had hired to clean the heavy brush and vines that had started to take over the cemetery. Sadly, the man showed up with his bulldozer in the wee hours of the day and proceeded to push the brush, along with all the gravestones, to the valley at the bottom of the hill, where it lay undisturbed for the next 55 years.

In June 2023, I volunteered to tackle the monumental task of very carefully excavating the area and sifting through the mounds of dirt in search of the displaced tombstones, as well as any other items related to the cemetery. This process was slow and took many months to complete.

Along with finding several marked gravestones, more than 30 unmarked grave slates, and several sections of broken gravestones, this 50-star American flag was found as a clump buried deep in the dirt during the last days of the project. It was carefully cleaned and preserved. Once I get it framed, it will be donated to the church.

On July 4, 1960, the very first fifty-star American flag was raised in Washington DC, and the design is still in use today. Given the depth from which this flag was recovered, one must assume that it, too, had lain buried in the dirt for the last 55 years.

 

[jimther]

I know it was a 50 star flag, but it's missing 2 stars. It has been through hard times but old Glory is still there!

Sorry Tony… I guess I didn’t pick up on your “once 50, now 48 stars” subtly.

 

[creskol]

Framed and given back to the church today. Sorry for the reflections..I just couldn't find the right angle to minimize it.

 

[Tony in SC]

That is great! You did good!

 

[creskol]

That is great! You did good!

Thank you, Tony!

 

[Red_desert]

Framed with the history and looking the way it should. Preserve the history for future generations to see.

 

[creskol]

Framed with the history and looking the way it should. Preserve the history for future generations to see.

Thanks Red_desert!

 

[ArfieBoy]

Great save and preservation. Cool to give it, with its history, to the church.

 

[creskol]

Great save and preservation. Cool to give it, with its history, to the church.

Thank you, ArfieBoy!

 

[robertk]

Framed and given back to the church today.

That is just so cool. Kinda makes me proud, even though I had nothing to do with it. Great job!

 

[creskol]

That is just so cool. Kinda makes me proud, even though I had nothing to do with it. Great job!

Thanks very much, Robertk !