14/06/2013
Flag Day: Remembering Bob Heft
By Rodney C. Wakeman
Flag Day is celebrated every June 14 here in the United States. To help understand one of the meanings behind the day, I would like to talk about the significance our symbol of freedom and sacrifice had on one patriotic American, Mr. Robert (Bob) G. Heft.
Bob Heft was born on January 19, 1942, in Saginaw, Michigan. He was raised by his grandparents in Lancaster, Ohio ever since he was a small child. Because of this, he later referred to them as his parents.
As a 17-year-old junior at Lancaster High School in 1958, Bob was assigned to complete a class project of choice by his history teacher, Mr. Stanley Pratt. For his project, Bob decided to make a flag.
Sounds simple enough, right?
Bob’s choice of project would literally become part of U.S. history.
During the course of one weekend, Bob spent 12-½ hours at the family dining table deconstructing his family’s 48-star flag, redesigning, and with an additional $2.87 of new cloth and iron-on material, refashioning a 50-star version of ‘Old Glory.’ In the process, Bob had to quickly teach himself sewing skills, including how to operate a sewing machine in order to put the pieces of what had been a flag back together into the design and shape of a new flag.
The following Monday, Bob and his classmates were required to turn in their project and provide an oral report to the class and to Pratt.
While aboard the school bus and with his newly-fashioned flag in hand, Bob learned of a classmate who had thrown together a project that morning made of leaves while waiting for the bus.
Despite his procrastination, the classmate’s leaf project and oral report earned him a grade of A.
Bob’s 12-½ hours in thought, planning and work throughout the weekend on his flag design and oral report notwithstanding, Pratt gave Bob a grade of B-minus. After class Bob questioned his teacher about the grade in which Pratt explained, “It lacked originality.” He also noted that, “Anyone can make a flag.” Pratt concluded that if Bob could get his 50-star flag design accepted by Congress he would consider changing the grade.
Even as a teen-aged high school student, Bob had a liking for politics and was in tune with current affairs, which also included national discussions of Alaska perhaps becoming the 49th state. But Bob’s political thinking, already beyond most kids his age as well as many adults, pointed him to realize that to equalize political power, Congress would likely also add Hawaii as the 50th state, which demonstrated his forward-thinking and was his reasoning behind 50 stars for his flag project.
Bob would make contact with his Congressman, Rep. Walter Moeller, to inform him of his 50-star design. Bob eventually sent the flag to Rep. Moeller with a note that in the event both Alaska and Hawaii become states that the Congressman would submit the 50-star design on his behalf.
As time went on Bob made several phone calls to Rep. Moeller’s office in Washington, DC. However, as it turned out Congress initially approved, and the states ratified, only Alaska, which was celebrated on July 4, 1959.
But the 49-star flag would be short-lived. Only one year, in fact.
One day while at work, Bob received a page over the company P.A. system to report to the office to take a phone call. Even as a new employee, he understood workers were to have no personal phone calls while on the job. Bob inquired who was calling for him. His boss said it was the White House and wondered what Bob had done to warrant a call from Washington, DC.
On the other end was President Eisenhower’s personal secretary informing Bob to hold the line for the president.
President Eisenhower came on the phone and asked Bob if he remembers making a 50-star flag and submitting it to Congress. After 12-½ hours at the family dining table using his mother’s sewing machine to sew the flag, the many phone calls to Washington, DC, and the B-minus grade he received from his teacher – Bob said he recalled something about it.
The president told Heft that his design was selected as the new U.S. flag and asked if he would be available to come to Washington, DC to stay at the White House and take part in a ceremony on July 4, 1960, to watch his 50-star flag be raised for the first time.
Knowing he had only been on the job for a short while and had not acquired any vacation time, Bob needed to ask his boss.
Bob proceeded to put the president of the United States on hold.
Bob explained his predicament to his boss and acknowledged that he didn't have any vacation time. His boss quickly said he could go and that he would put his time off as ‘executive leave’ but to immediately get the president back on the line!
Without missing a beat Bob picked up the phone and asked, “Dwight? Are you still there?”
Bob informed the president that he would come to Washington, DC.
Since the time his design was selected as the official flag of the United States, Bob went on to work as a high school teacher, a college professor and was mayor of Napoleon, Ohio for 28 years, all the while traveling around the country and the world with his flag telling others his story.
After retiring from Northwest State Community College in Archbold, Ohio, Bob returned to his birth home of Saginaw, Michigan where he continued his speaking engagements.
Bob’s highest honor took place at exactly 12:00 Noon on July 4, 2007, marking the 50th anniversary of the 50-star flag, officially becoming the longest serving version in our country's history. A special flag-raising ceremony was held in his honor at Michigan’s Own Military and Space Museum in Frankenmuth, Michigan, just 30 minutes from his home.
Over the years, Bob regularly traveled to over 200 events telling his flag story. He met nine presidents, visited the White House 14 times, flew on Air Force One multiple times and toured with Bob Hope. He shook hands with many government officials, dignitaries, movie stars and other notable figures.
But to Bob none of the meetings were as important as the everyday people he met crisscrossing the United States, especially veterans groups and schoolchildren.
Bob passed away unexpectedly, in Saginaw, Michigan at the age of 67.
In December 2009, Bob traveled to Kentucky to campaign with Republican U.S. Senate candidate Bill Johnson. Bob told his story to veteran groups and others. At one point, he stopped off unannounced at an elementary school and asked to speak to the schoolchildren. The school principal allowed Bob to talk to the school. The presentation he gave was the last one Bob ever did at a school because a few days later on December 12, 2009, Bob passed away unexpectedly in his hometown of Saginaw, Michigan. Even up until a week before his death, Bob was educating others about our country’s history and teaching patriotism to children.
Bob Heft is buried at Holy Cross Lutheran Cemetery in Saginaw, Michigan where his grave is marked with a granite monument designed as a replica of his own 50-star flag.
Bob made the most of an opportunity early in life. Despite his unique place in U.S. history that included a life of world travel, he never looked at life through the tainted prism of fame. He was genuine. He never thought of himself as ‘Bob the flag guy.’ If you ever had the pleasure of meeting him, he would have likely greeted you with, “I’m just Bob.”
As for his B-minus grade, Mr. Pratt kept his word and changed the grade to an A.
Thank you, Bob, for your contribution to our country.
Happy Flag Day, my friend.
© 2013 Rodney C. Wakeman
All Rights Reserved.
