Flags on the Summit

2011-09-11 18:39:41.000 – Erin Diveny,  Summit Museum Supervisor

Raising of the flag

Today the summit was filled with people carrying American flags in honor of those who lost there lives on that horrible day of 9/11/2001. People came from all over to fly there flags and many of them had lost love ones on that day. This morning I was out on the observation deck and met a man who wanted to fly a flag in honor of this friend who’s in Afghanistan right now and is mailing the flag to him.

In addition to the flags that individual people brought up there was also a group called Flags on the 48 Peaks which is a group of of people who get together to make sure there is a flag flown on all 48 of NH 4,000 footers and of course Mount Washington is one of them. We had a boy scout troop come up and put a American flag out on the railing to the observation deck (were you can see it on the obs webcam) and they held a very nice little memorial service.

After the boy scouts had there memorial another group from the Boston Hiking Club and New England Burn Survivors raised a huge flag on top of the summit as seen in the picture above (This look similar to the historic raising of the flag on Mount Suribachi in World War II.) The members of the New England Burn Survivors saw this has a way of showing there support for firefighters many of whom saved their life. Along with the flags flying around the summit there was also a poster memorial as you walked in the state park building of all the firefighters who gave the ultimate sacrifice and gave there lives that day. I found this very touching since my Father is a NJ firefighter who and went to assist in the rescue efforts at 9/11 after the towers had collapsed.

We would like to thank all firefighters, Police, EMS and soldiers for everything you do for our country. 

Erin Diveny,  Summit Museum Supervisor