UP SENDS 150 FLAGS TO EMPLOYEES IN MILITARY Photo here: [images.zwire.com] Caption reads: Steve Holland, left, and Kenneth Weimerskirch of the Union Pacific Railroad help to raise flags at Bailey Yard on Monday. NORTH PLATTE, NE -- As community members gathered Monday to remember those soldiers who have given their lives to protect America’s freedom, employees at Union Pacific Railroad raised 150 flags to send to active duty reservists. This is the fourth year UPRR has flown flags at Bailey Yard to send to employees who are currently on active duty with the reserves. Since the program started in 2004, the number of flags has gradually increased. “Every year it gets a little bit bigger and a little bit better,” said Darren Deppen, a machinist for UPRR. Deppen said he and fellow UPRR employee Bruce Ferguson started the program. In their first year, they raised 110 flags. This year, the number of flags increased to 150. It was expected to take up to four hours to fly the flags, and another four hours or so to refold and package them. Deppen said 105 of the flags will be sent to UPRR employees, and the rest will go to family members. All those who participate in the “flag raising” project are volunteers. Deppen said they all are machinists in the mechanical department at UPRR, and they all have prior military experience except for Ferguson. Troy Miller, who helped raise several flags this year, has 23 years with the Navy. Deppen said he is being called back on active duty, and will be leaving for the Middle East next week. Deppen himself has 20 years of active duty with the Marine Corps, and Steve Holland, who also volunteers with the project, served for 28 years in the Marine Corps Reserves. Deppen said Union Pacific supplies the flags for this project, and the volunteers cover all other expenses. The flags are flown for about one minute. Later, they will be folded and packaged to send overseas. A certificate will be included with each flag. Deppen said they will also include copies of more than 2,000 signatures with each flag from people wishing the soldiers well and thanking the service men and women for their support. “It’s a way for us to give back to the employees to say, ‘Hey, thanks for your time. We know what it’s like,’” Deppen said. “And it’s a big morale booster for them.” - John Lindenberger, The North Platte Telegraph
Indeed! Always good to know the biggest RR in the nation still cares about the troops. Thanks for sharing!
