Army-Navy Club of Vicksburg temporarily halts river bridge flag program

Published 5:35 pm Monday, April 20, 2020

: An American Flag is placed above the Old Mississippi River Bridge in this file photograph from October 2015. (File Photo/The Vicksburg Post)

Restrictions placed on the size of gatherings as part of the response to the spread of the COVID-19 virus has placed a hold on a long-time and cherished tradition in Vicksburg.

The Army-Navy Club of Vicksburg has suspended its sponsored flag program that places American flags on the Old Mississippi River Bridge. The decision came after the latest sponsor decided to postpone the ceremony because of the guidelines that restrict the size of gatherings to no more than 10 people.

“We had a sponsor’s flag that was supposed to go up next week, and I told them we could do it,” Army-Navy Club project chairman Lewis Decell said. With this limited number, Decell said, the family decided to wait so they could have more family attend.

With the thought this could be the case for others who are sponsoring a flag, Decell decided to put everything on hold.

This, however, will not prevent a new flag from taking its place high atop the historic bridge.

“We are going to put a flag on the bridge, but it will not be a sponsored flag,” Decell said.

The current flag has been flying for three months and has begun to get ragged, Decell said, so bridge superintendent Herman Smith is going to help the club replace the flag.

“I have a club flag we bought years ago for emergencies,” Decell said.

Once the restrictions on gatherings have been lifted, Decell said the program will be reactivated.

The idea to fly a flag on top of the bridge was first suggested by Vicksburg resident Blanche Millsaps, who was inspired by a similar program she had seen in Washington State.

The first flag was flown in 1994. The Army-Navy Club of Vicksburg took over the project after Millsaps’ death.

About Terri Cowart Frazier

Terri Frazier was born in Cleveland. Shortly afterward, the family moved to Vicksburg. She is a part-time reporter at The Vicksburg Post and is the editor of the Vicksburg Living Magazine, which has been awarded First Place by the Mississippi Press Association. She has also been the recipient of a First Place award in the MPA’s Better Newspaper Contest’s editorial division for the “Best Feature Story.”

Terri graduated from Warren Central High School and Mississippi State University where she received a bachelor’s degree in communications with an emphasis in public relations.

Prior to coming to work at The Post a little more than 10 years ago, she did some freelancing at the Jackson Free Press. But for most of her life, she enjoyed being a full-time stay at home mom.

Terri is a member of the Crawford Street United Methodist Church. She is a lifetime member of the Vicksburg Junior Auxiliary and is a past member of the Sampler Antique Club and Town and Country Garden Club. She is married to Dr. Walter Frazier.

“From staying informed with local governmental issues to hearing the stories of its people, a hometown newspaper is vital to a community. I have felt privileged to be part of a dedicated team at The Post throughout my tenure and hope that with theirs and with local support, I will be able to continue to grow and hone in on my skills as I help share the stories in Vicksburg. When asked what I like most about my job, my answer is always ‘the people.’

More by Terri Cowart