Braille American flags donated by DAR
A flag for the visually impaired was presented to Montana State Veterans Home by Carol Nicholson, past regent of Bird Woman Falls Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution. Renee Lennick accepted the flag on behalf of the Veterans Home.
A similar flag was given to Noranne Yeager, of the Flathead Special Education Cooperative, by Tracy Morsching. She is current regent of Bird Woman Falls Chapter, DAR.
Carol commented it gives veterans who are no longer able to see an opportunity to feel the flag under which they fought. Veterans Home staff members will take the flag to members of the home to enjoy. It is estimated there are between 12 and 20 visually impaired veterans there.
Visually impaired children will be able to feel the flag and understand what the flag looks like through their school programs.
The DAR members purchased the flags as one of their continuing community projects. A durable, lightweight textile white plastic is used for the flag. Raised red stripes are smooth, and the raised white stripes are textured. Stars formed by metal brads are easily distinguished. Pledge of Allegiance is printed on flags in both Braille and print.
Randolph Cabral, founder of the Kansas Braille Transcription Institute, created the Braille American flag in 2005. Lions International is among organizations recognizing the Braille American flag. A bronze replica of the flag was placed in Arlington National Cemetery as a tribute to servicemen losing their sight.
Members of the Bird Woman Falls Chapter support historic preservation, education promotion and encourage patriotic endeavors through their DAR membership. May project at Montana Veterans Home Cemetery was photographing graves and locating markers.
Carol met with Montana Veterans Home Memorial Foundation members. She was granted request to have a marker for Margaret Martin, veteran's widow who died in April, 1919, placed by the Foundation. Arrangements were also made to have a missing marker for Louis Parent replaced in the Veterans Home Cemetery. Future projects include photographing Woodlawn Cemetery.
Gladys Shay is a longtime resident and columnist for the Hungry Horse News.