Vancouver Flag Day observance set for Thursday

Fifth-graders will team with local mayors Thursday in Vancouver’s observance of Flag Day.

The event will be from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. at the Parade Ground bandstand, across from the Grant House, 1101 Officers Row.

Dressed in 18th-century costumes, fifth-graders from Marshall Elementary School will discuss the meaning of the flag from the perspective of American Revolution-era citizens. Sunset Elementary fifth-graders will challenge Clark County’s mayors to a history quiz.

All of the students will judge the third annual Mayors of Clark County Patriotic Tie Competition.

The National Pause for the Pledge will be led by Lt. Col. J.D. Litton, deputy commander of the Army Reserve’s 2nd Brigade, 95th Division, based at the Armed Forces Reserve Center in Vancouver.

Litton was part of the team that planned the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq. He was awarded the Bronze Star and Meritorious Service Medal.

The event is formally known as the Flag Day Ceremony Presented by Veolia Water. It is organized by the Fort Vancouver National Trust.