Flags Over Manteca

Manteca: America’s most patriotic city?

It is more than just wishful

thinking.

Ten times a year hundreds of volunteers get up before dawn’s early light to place 2,400 American flags along Manteca’s main streets to honor our fallen, our veterans, our military, our civil rights leader, and our founding principles. It is all a part of the Manteca Chamber of Commerce’s marquee community service endeavor Flags over Manteca.

Months after the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, then Manteca Chamber of Commerce executive director Joe Pellegrino proposed to the chamber board that the business group should undertake a flag project to reflect the community’s patriotic sentiments that were sharpened by the terrorist attacks

Volunteers step up to place the flags and retrieve the flags on days such as Martin Lither King Jr. Day, Presidents Day, Veterans Day, Armed Services Day, Labor Day, Pearl Harbor Day, Flag Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, and Patriots Day on Sept. 11.

The impact of the flags goes beyond Manteca.

Residents from up and down the Northern San Joaquin Valley come to Manteca on the day the streets are graced with the nation’s colors.

The two major streets that are lined with flags — Yosemite Avenue and Main Street — cross in downtown Manteca where five large murals honoring those who served (World War 1 through the Global War on Terror grace the side of the Manteca Bedquarters building.

Patriotism is more than just placing flags.

It isn’t uncommon for those in uniform to have complete strangers — Manteca residents — walk up to them and thank them for their service.

It was inevitable that Manteca would take its respect for those who have served and the freedoms and liberties that they have secured for all to the next step.

Starting 15 years ago, the community through the Not Forgotten nonprofit organization has been conducting a Memorial Day Weekend commemoration.

It started as a way of making sure those who returned from the Global War on Terror did so to the embrace of a grateful nation.

One aspect of the commemoration was established of a Traveling Tribute to the fallen that lists the names of all those who have died Serving America since Sept. 11, 2001.

It has grown since then. Instead of just honoring the fallen and wounded from Manteca it expanded to include the sacrifices of the Gold Star Families within a 50-mile radius of Manteca.

Youth are among the volunteers that help place 2,400 flags along Manteca’s streets ten times a year.

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