The man behind the giant flag that waves over the Susquehanna amidst Williamsport’s Fourth of July festivities
RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Local National Guardsmen and volunteers pitched in to help raise a gigantic American flag near the foot of the Market Street bridge in Williamsport in preparation for the "Set the Night to Music" Fourth of July celebration on Tuesday. The decades-old tradition is a collaboration of the local National Guard and Allison Crane.
RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Local National Guardsmen and volunteers pitched in to help raise a gigantic American flag near the foot of the Market Street bridge in Williamsport in preparation for the "Set the Night to Music" Fourth of July celebration on Tuesday. The decades-old tradition is a collaboration of the local National Guard and Allison Crane.
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As area residents prepare to celebrate Independence Day, a silent bastion will mark its 27th year flying in silent observance as once again, one of the largest U.S. flags in the world is present for the city's Set the Night to Music celebration Friday evening.
The city's acquisition of the flag was largely the work of famed local auctioneer Charles Calvin Roan Sr., who passed away in February, at the age of 93.
Roan was a proud Korean War Marine Veteran who served one year on the front lines of Korea as a Buck Sergeant of Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 7th Marine Division (1951-1954), and was the first Veteran in the state to use the VA Bill for auctioneering school.
Roan's work to bring the flag to the city would begin after meeting a fellow veteran at the AmVets club in Gastonia, N.C. who introduced him to the largest flying American flag in the world, for which he would attend the launch.
He immediately befriended the local AmVets group and convinced them to come to Williamsport, and fly their flag at a Fourth of July celebration, helping to secure them with free lodging and meals sponsored by locals.
Roan built a coalition of veterans, local businesses, local government, city, radio stations and Allison Crane company, leading to a successful celebration.
Learning that such large flags must be replaced every 6 months, he convinced the group to donate one of their "used" flags to him for continued use in the city's annual July 4th celebrations.
Once again working with local businesses and groups, Roan raised the means to store and care for the flag each year, leading up to the celebration.
For his work, Roan was memorialized on the painted mural near the Bullfrog Brewery created by Michael Pilato.