July 4th, a powerful reminiscence

04 July 2009 |permalink | email article

In Amarillo, at the depth of the Great Depression, Texans stitched together what was called the largest American flag, a tribute to President Franklin Roosevelt during a visit. Then it started to rain.

People strained to hold the giant flag in place, as it grew heavy with water from above. The colors bled onto the street, into gutters, and still these Americans, nearly broken by dual blows of dust and despair, these people who felt somewhat betrayed by a country they hardly recognized, held the flag. They were clinging to something much more lasting than fabric.

Timothy Egan, Capture the Flag, The New York Times, July 1. Egan wrote for the Times for 18 years, and won the National Book Award for his history of people who lived through the Dust Bowl, The Worst Hard Time.

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