Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry says he’s decided that in addition to flying the United States flag, “we should add the five military branch flags in an array around the National Colors in front of City Hall.”
The mayor made the announcement in an email to the news media Wednesday. "Therefore, today I have asked my staff to install the necessary hardware next to the National Colors in Hemming Park to let our military flags fly,” Curry wrote.
Curry said the idea came to him as he was enjoying downtown fireworks on the Fourth of July with his family.
“As the fun of the evening faded and we returned home, I spent some time reflecting about our city and our nation. My grandfathers and my father came to mind as I thought of the many men, women and families who have sacrificed by serving in our military to defend our way of life,” Curry said.
WJCT News has reached out to the Mayor’s Office for additional details on when the idea would be implemented.
In the meantime, here is Mayor Curry’s complete statement:
A week ago, as I sat on the south bank of the St. Johns, my family and I enjoyed the fireworks and celebrations with our downtown as a backdrop. As the fun of the evening faded and we returned home, I spent some time reflecting about our city and our nation. My grandfathers and my father came to mind as I thought of the many men, women and families who have sacrificed by serving in our military to defend our way of life.
With these reflections in mind, I have decided that in addition to flying the United States flag, we should add the five military branch flags in an array around the National Colors in front of City Hall.
Jacksonville is a town with a long and rich history of service. We are home to military bases with active and reserve units. Thousands upon thousands of our city’s citizens have for decades agreed to put their lives on the line for our country and our freedoms.
To honor that long tradition, I want everyone who works in or visits City Hall to be reminded of the dedication of our Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard. Therefore, today I have asked my staff to install the necessary hardware next to the National Colors in Hemming Park to let our military flags fly.
– Mayor Lenny Curry
Bill Bortzfield can be reached at bbortzfield@wjct.org, 904-358-6349 or on Twitter at @BortzInJax.
