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Tampico American Legion Post 574 Photo & Info submitted by Terry Gaskill TAMPICO A.L. POST 574 COMPLETES 25TH YEAR by Terry L Gaskill Cell

Phone (815)-535-3665

According to Commander John E Taets 2006 was the 25th year for the Avenue of Flags. Each year members of Tampico American Legion Post 574 put up over 250 3 1/2 X 5 American Flags and about 50 Casket American Flags that have been donated to the Post. With 10 members it takes about 1 hour to put in 28" metal stakes into the ground 15" and get out the flags from the Village Hall basement on the Saturday morning preceding Memorial Day. Then on Sunday Morning at 6am it takes about 10 members or more about one hour to put all these flags up in the Catholic and the Memorial Cemeteries in Tampico. Then on Monday afternoon at around 4pm it takes about 10 members or more 1 1/2 hours to take down the flags, pull up the stakes, and put them away in the village hall basement. Each flag is rolled on the pole before they are put away for another year.

On the Monday celebrated for Memorial Day the Tampico American Legion Post 574 Color Guard marches to St. Mary's Cemetery and Tampico Memorial Cemetery and remains at attention while a Prayer is ready by Linda Taets and then fire a solute to honor all deceased Veterans with taps played by Michael Taets. Commander John E. Taets each year gets both cemeteries ready for Memorial Day by putting out all the small American Grave Flags and marking the placments of the over 250 flag stakes. This takes several hours of donated time by the Commander Taets and is well appreciated.

For more information on membership to the Tampico American Legion Post 574 please call Commander Taets at (815)-438-5182. Thank you for everyone helping with the 2006 Memorial Day services in Tampico, IL. [Pictured 2006 TAL Post 574 Color Guard L-R: Michael Taets-Bugler, Harold Grimes, Roy Haney, Terry Gaskill-Finance Officer, Ronald Young, Arthur Bledsoe, Allan Morthland, Lowell Batten, and Commander John E Taets]