NORTH OGDEN — What does the American flag mean to you? For Jennie Taylor, the American flag represents those who have sacrificed their lives for our country like her husband, the late Ogden mayor, Major Brent Taylor.
“To see the flag now, greater significance. There’s a power in the American flag. The spirit of freedom is a spirit of God. It’s the spirit of humanity, it’s the spirit of everything good,” says Jennie.
In honor of the anniversary of Major Taylor’s passing and this year’s upcoming Veterans Day, an organization called Follow the Flag Ogden set out to hang the world’s largest free-flying American flag over Coldwater Canyon. The community gathered at 7:30 am on Saturday morning to carry the flag from North Ogden trailhead to a lookout point in Coldwater Canyon. The flag measures 158 feet long and 78 feet wide, requiring around 30 people to carry it.
“There’s a piece of my husband here with us today. I can feel that.” Jennie expressed.
Director of Follow the Flag Ogden, Kirk Chugg said, “This is the second year that a flag will hang in this canyon, but it’s the first year that our flag will hang here. It brought a lot of healing to our community last year, and there was so much love for the flag hanging in the canyon. The city helped us fundraise to buy our own flag so that the flag can be up there every Veterans Day.”
The flag flying in the canyon this year is called “The Major,” named after fallen soldier Major Brent Taylor. During the event, Jennie said, “You know, it’s a really emotional day to be here, and they call the flag the major, and in my heart, I know which major that started with, but it represents all of America, all freedom.”
“The Major” weighs 400 pounds, and it took just over an hour and a half to bring it up the 2.5 mile trail. This event evoked feelings of patriotism and unity from those participating in Coldwater canyon and those watching from various locations around Ogden.
“As I was looking at the flag and all the people, I just thought there are hundreds of people who have come together because of the life of this one man, who gave everything to and for his country, and he’s just one of thousands and thousands who have done the same. I’ve been proud to be an American for 40 years now, but I’ve never been more proud to be an American than since I became a gold star widow and the wife of a fallen American soldier.” Jennie remarked.
You can see “The Major” hanging in Coldwater Canyon until Veterans Day, November 11th.
