Stars & Stripes Forever
The Flag Center in Redding…
Flag Day was established to celebrate the adoption of the Stars and Stripes. It’s a day to fly your American flags, historic or modern, with pride. For flag-related needs, patriotic spirit and a warm welcome, look no further than The Flag Center in Redding.
Opened in the early 1980s by Carol Fielding, The Flag Center came under new ownership at the beginning of 2021. When Rolan Dillion came into the store for a part to fix his own flagpole, he caught the “Business For Sale” sign in the window. “When I saw the sign, it was over,” Dillion says.
His wife, Janie Dillion, agrees. “He came home like a little kid, saying, ‘I want to buy the flag store,’” she says fondly. Forty-five days later, the couple owned it. Six months later, Rolan retired, and they were all in together. The Dillions believe they were in the right place and the right time and are grateful for how things have fallen into place.
“This is the perfect fit for him,” she adds, noting that her husband served in the Navy in the 1970s. “He is Mr. Patriot. He loves our country, our flag.”
As of April 1, the Dillions have owned and operated The Flag Center for two years, and they are loving every minute of it. They always keep American flags, historic and current, in stock.
Rolan also offers the reminder that if a flag was ever the U.S. official flag, it never becomes obsolete. Historic American flags still hold respect and patriotism. So when it comes to Flag Day, flying any U.S. flag is appropriate, all the way back to the Betsy Ross flag (which The Flag Center carries).
The state and city flags are both generally kept in stock, as are the flags for first responders and each branch of the military. If The Flag Center doesn’t carry the flag you’re looking for, no worries – they’ll order anything for you. From 4 by 6 inches up to 30 by 60 feet, they carry flags of almost any size.
The Flag Center also provides retirement services for flags. Once a flag is torn or damaged beyond repair, there is a proper way to put it to rest. This often entails burning of the flags, but there isn’t a prescribed ceremony that must be followed to a tee. “We like to fold them up here in the showroom in the traditional folding manner,” Rolan says. The flag should be folded into a triangle, as is done at memorials. “We like to recruit the flag owner to help us. It’s surprising how many people are eager and surprised to take part.”
In Rolan’s words, the primary requirement for flag retirement is that the flags be handled with care and respect. “I’m a red, white and blue boy,” he adds. “I consider it an honor and a high privilege to be in a position where the primary item that I represent is the official ensign of the United States of America. That’s a high honor.”
To respect the flag, make sure you display it properly, Rolan says. While it’s almost impossible to fly a flag incorrectly on a flagpole, if you’re mounting it on the wall like a painting, make sure the stars are on the upper left. And if you fold a flag, the only proper way to fold a flag is in the traditional, triangular fold. The Flag Center has brochures on this process, as well as any other flag essentials you may need for Flag Day, Fourth of July and beyond. •
The Flag Center • 2124 Hilltop Drive, Redding
(530) 221-4000 • www.the-flag-center.com
Article Written By:
Madison Heller was born and raised in Redding, and as a result spent her summers swimming and camping all over the North State. When not writing, she enjoys baking sweets, drinking coffee and spending time outside.
