In fall 2003, WWII veteran Jim Shepherd, left, explained the significance of a bullet-ridden 13-star American Flag to then Winton Elementary third-graders Mariah Symons, right, Robin Glessner, second from right, and Taylor Kowalski (all cq) at the Veterans of Foreign Wars hall in downtown Coeur d'Alene/Jesse Tinsley photo.

Jim Shepherd, a WWII Navy veteran who is known for his devotion to the US flag. He's carried the flag in almost every Fourth of July parade since he returned from war 60 years ago. He helped set the Veterans Park bell with a forklift many years ago and his father set the concrete Veterans Park memorial in place before him. Recently, Jim was collecting donated U.S. flags for the American Legion when he ran across a boxed flag with a Sherman Ave. address that he recognized. It was the address of a young friend from high school who was killed on a small Pacific island, perhaps Iwo Jima, during WWII. The flag turned out to be the one that was draped on his friend's coffin after his death. "I fly it every Memorial Day," said Shepherd of the nine-foot flag.

Hat Tip (for info): Jesse Tinsley/SR

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