Sam Merry of Bovina stands by his tribute to the victims of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.(The Vicksburg Post/C. TODD SHERMAN)

[9/23/01]A Bovina veteran says the patriotic display in his front lawn should remind everyone to remember the men and women who lost their lives in terrorist attacks in the United States Sept. 11.

Sam Merry, 57 and a Navy veteran, set up a his large American flag and two small peddle cars, one a fire truck and one police car, to symbolize the men and women who died in the attacks on the World Trade Center in New York, the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., and an airliner forced down in Pennsylvania.

Although hundreds of miles away, Merry said he felt he had to do something.

“When I thought about the firemen and policemen that lost their lives, I had to get them a memorial,” Merry said.

He said he was already displaying his giant American flag in his front yard at 2358 Tiffentown Road last week when an idea hit him. He would combine his hobby of collecting small peddle vehicles and his love for his country. The 19-year employee of Grand Gulf Nuclear Station has been collecting the peddle cars for about eight years. He also has three small John Deere tractors sitting in the yard.

“I had the police car out, had the fire truck and (the idea) just clicked,” Merry said.

The 5-foot-by-8-foot flag once flew over the USS Greenling, a fast-attack submarine he served on during his eight years in the Navy.

“I’ll keep it up until things settle back down and until the fire department and police departments are done,” Merry said.

He also noted that the police car had 911 written on the back, something he would not have noticed in the past.

“It’s kind of a freaky thing because 9/11 was when it happened,” Merry said.

“I am just real patriotic, and it upsets me a lot when I think about it,” Merry said.

“There is nothing prettier than an American flag,” Merry said as he stood in front of his display. “When you see it flying it does something to you.”