California crane company raises American flag for Fourth of July
SAN JOSE, Calif. (CBS, KYMA/KECY) - For nearly 20 years, the owner of West Coast Cranes, Lowell Tucker, has quietly and without tremendous fanfare raised this massive flag to celebrate our most patriotic holidays: The Fourth of July, Memorial Day and Veterans' Day. It is his tribute both to his father and country.
"On the Fourth of July, it's about America. On Veterans' Day, it's about the veterans. And on Memorial Day, it's about the people who have given all they have to give," Tucker detailed.
The flag is 30 feet tall, 60 feet wide, and can be seen for miles. Tucker says it's a big gesture, aimed principally at an audience of one.
"My father flew helicopters in Vietnam. And that's a huge source of pride for me. And once that gets flying today, I shoot my dad a quick little video and call him up," Tucker explained.
Deepened with time
Tucker says he's tremendously proud of his father, and hopes the country's appreciation for the service of Vietnam-era Vets has deepened with time.
"Most of us Americans are aware that the Vietnam Vets did not get the respect that they deserved. It wasn't political for my father. He went over there and did what he thought he had to do. He was just serving his country at the time," Tucker described.
Tucker says the flag-raising tradition dates back 18 years, to when he first started West Coast Cranes. The size of the company and the flag have both grown with time.
But he says that each time it's raised, each time, it catches the breeze, billowing out like sail, it stirs many of the same emotions.
"Every time we fly that flag, there's just a sense of awe. And it's majestic to see the stars and stripes in the wind," Tucker explained.
Beyond measure
The flag is made up of nearly 2000 square feet of fabric, but Tucker says a son's love of his father, and their shared love of country, stretches beyond measure of even the biggest banner.
"It's a symbol of freedom and America and the fight for freedom," Tucker remarked.
Tucker says the flag remain up through the Fourth of July holiday and will be lowered once again on Wednesday.
