Volunteers make flag displays possible

To the editor:

It was a cold wet morning and two weeks of leaves were piled on the curbs. It was Veterans Day.

I wish to thank the Optimist Clubs of Cedar Rapids, whose volunteers and friends had to find the flag receptacles under the leaves and put up the American flags along the streets of Cedar Rapids and then take them down so they could be stored to be put up again next year on the holiday.

I then wish to thank all the wonderful people of Cedar Rapids who subscribe to this service with all proceeds over the cost of flags and staff, etc., going to the youth of Cedar Rapids.

I also wish to thank the Hy-Vee stores that also subscribe to the Optimist flag program and have flags surrounding their stores on the holidays. Also, thank you Hy-Vee for the free breakfast on Veterans Day for all the veterans. I was there for breakfast and there were tears in some of the veterans' eyes as they were thanked for their service in the military both by employees as well as by the customers.

George T. Henry

Cedar Rapids