Thursday, Aug. 26, 2010

Infantry Museum receives flag donation from former secretary of the Army

The Flag of the Secretary of the Army given to Howard “Bo” Callaway at the end of his tenure now hangs in the National Infantry Museum. It is the last flag of its kind ever given for personal use to a secretary of the Army.

The flag was unveiled Aug. 20 at a ceremony honoring Callaway and officially accepting the donated flag as part of the museum’s collection.

MG(R) Jerry White, chairman of the National Infantry Foundation, said it took a while to find where to hang the flag, since they wanted it in a well-lit place with a strong wall that could handle the heavy flag.

He found a space on the landing of the stairs where it could be seen from the main lobby and the mezzanine as well as by anyone visiting the museum’s theater or restaurant.

“It was the right location,” he said. “That area probably gets as much traffic as anywhere in the building. It’s just a great honor for all of us to have it be here.”