CHICAGO — HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY!
Let’s celebrate once again at this time of year in our own way with shared stories from you of a patriotic nature from the fabricare industry. So many of you do things for our service personnel and veterans, including flags, uniforms, and much more. Here are just a few stories that help represent all that you do. Enjoy these, and have a fun, patriotic and safe 4th!
TWO VETERANS
This is a photo of two of my employees who are veterans, says Linda Mitchell, owner of Trinity Dry Cleaners located in Lawrenceburg, Ind.
“Dale Schroeder, on the left, has been an employee for one year as a delivery driver. Dale also helps out in customer service and production,” Mitchell notes.
“He is 71 years old and is a U.S. Navy veteran, serving domestically and internationally from 1968-1972, including one tour serving on an aircraft carrier in the Mediterranean.”
Tom Patton, on the right, has been an employee at Trinity for four years as a delivery driver, customer service rep, and production assistant, Mitchell explains.
“He is 60 years old and is a U.S. Army veteran, serving as a military police officer and combat engineer both domestically and internationally from 1980-2004, including two tours in Germany and one tour in Iraq.”
REPAIRING UNIFORMS
“Hi! We are All Star Dry Cleaners located in Las Vegas, Nev.,” say Randy and Audry Barnett, owners.
“We are very patriotic and love our military. We clean and repair uniforms from the nearby military base as well as our local metro police department, fire department, etc.,” they note.
“The photos show two of the uniforms we have done and show a special flag that we recently cleaned,” the Barnett’s point out.
“It is an antique flag from 1942. It had to be cleaned entirely by hand, and we cleaned it for free! We clean all American flags at no charge,” they note.
FLAG RESTORATION
Alan and Rhonda Wernick, owners of Oakwood Cleaners in Nashville relate that: “Every now and then we get the opportunity to work on very special items whether it be an heirloom wedding gown or christening gown, vintage items with sentimental value or in this case an historical United States Flag.
“We were approached by Michael Korak, facility manager at the Downtown Presbyterian Church in Nashville, to clean and restore a flag from the 1930s,” she notes.
“When he first wrote in, there was no question in my mind that we would want to take on this project and even though it was a vintage item that would require extra attention we would do it at no charge.
“Oakwood Cleaners looks for ways to help our community and this is a perfect example. It not only allows us to restore a found relic but allows us to show our patriotism for our wonderful country,” Wernick relates.
Check back Thursday for the conclusion.
Have a question or comment? E-mail our editor Dave Davis at [email protected].