SCRANTON, Pa. — The American flag flies proudly atop The Recovery Bank in Scranton. Inside, veterans and volunteers gathered Wednesday for a Flag Day ceremony.
The organization, along with The Robert Spitz Veterans Foundation, hosts this event each year, recognizing pride, perseverance, and patriotism.
"So many people have died for our flag, just for what it stands for. So, I think our recognition of that is very important for this community," said Walter Mitchell.
Jeff Brown is the veterans' project director at The Recovery Bank and a U.S. Navy veteran. Flag Day means a lot to Brown, who wrote a poem called "Red, White, and Blue" specifically for the ceremony.
"For the sacrifices that were made by the veterans and their families, the entire veteran community, a lot of people, I think, still really don't realize just how much they give," Brown said.
The Recovery Bank has a program that provides treatment for veterans who are battling substance disorders. Those veterans fought for our freedom and are now seeking freedom from their own drug and alcohol problems.
"I'm thankful I was given that opportunity. I had a heart full of gratitude that they were willing to reach out and give me the help," said Marine Corps veteran Mark Fair.
Veterans who attended the ceremony say Flag Day is an important event and are thankful for ceremonies like this.
"I think our younger generation has no idea what brought us to our current flag today, and I think it's important that we celebrate it and make sure that our current generation understands," said U.S. Army veteran Suzanne Rudat.
"I lost a lot of brothers and sisters, served a lot of people, and now every time I see a flag wave, you just said, brings tears to my eyes. I mean, not to sound petty, but it's just that it's that deep," Fair said.