American flag is donated to Tamarisk

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Paul Barrette of the Jewish Seniors Agency speaks about the flag donation.WARWICK – Flag Day commemorates the birthday of the American flag. Adopted by the Second Continental Congress in the midst of the American Revolution, Flag Day is not an official holiday and, to many people, it has little meaning.

Not so for Mel Kahn.  When Kahn moved to Tamarisk, one of the first things he discovered when he moved there was that Tamarisk did not display the American flag.  Why? Because it didn’t own one.

Kahn, a World War II Navy veteran and a past state commander of the Jewish War Veterans, Department of Rhode Island, took it upon himself to do something about that. On Friday, June 14, Flag Day, he donated a flag to Tamarisk.

Approximately 60 people attended the dedication ceremony, hosted by the Jewish War Veterans, Dept. of RI, during which Kahn presented the flag to Paul Barrette, executive director of Jewish Seniors Agency of Rhode Island, who accepted the flag on Tamarisk’s behalf. Noting how many veterans were in attendance at the ceremony, Barrette thanked them for their service to the country.

The flag is on permanent display now in Tamarisk’s activities room.

IRA FLEISHER (Ira.Fleisher@Dignitymemorial.com) is senior vice commander, Jewish War Veterans of Rhode Island, Department of Rhode Island.