Veteran provides Wisconsin VA with hand-crafted Star-Spangled Banner

To mark Flag Day 2018, Navy Reserve Veteran Mel Gullickson recently presented the Tomah VA Medical Center with a hand-crafted wooden American flag for the facility’s lobby entrance.

Tomah VAMC Chaplain Charles Keogh, a U.S. Army Veteran and artist Navy Reserve Veteran Mel Gullickson join others in reciting the Pledge of Allegiance.

Tomah VAMC Chaplain Charles Keogh, a U.S. Army Veteran, spoke at the event honoring the donation.

“The stylized flag at this entryway of the medical center serves as a reminder to all who enter here of the duty, honor, country, and service of Veterans and their families.  And, we hereby dedicate it accordingly,” Keogh said.

The 83-year old Gullickson made the Old Glory replica from baltic birch plywood with each piece being cut and then glued together including the stars.

“Carol, my wife, is a volunteer driver and she brings Veterans from Waushara County to their appointments here and she got to be friends with all the greeters and escorts,” Gullickson shared. He said his wife had a conversation with others at the facility about how it would be nice to have a flag where Veterans enter the building.

Gullickson had made other wooden items for the Tomah VA in the past.

“I sure appreciate all the Veterans. Some give all, all give some,” Gullickson added. “God bless the U.S.A. and our Veterans.”

Derrick Smith is a public affairs specialist at the Tomah VA Medical Center. He has over 20 years of media experience including public relations, journalism and radio.