BARTLESVILLE, Okla. — Daryl Thomas is a woodworking hobbyist who uses his hands to speak from his heart. "I just felt like it was necessary for us to say thank you in a different way other than words," he said.
So he handcrafts rustic wooden flags for Veterans.
"I don't put any blood, but I put my sweat and sometimes tears into them," said Thomas.
He made his first flag five years ago for a friend who came to his son's Veterans Day Celebration. "Jim McColloch, our first Veteran, was so overcome with emotions by the simple act of giving him a flag. It struck a nerve, and I knew that had an impact on him," said Thomas.
Since then, Thomas has made and gifted 1400 flags. He covers the cost. "I'm not a Veteran. I'm just a proud American who appreciates his freedom and wants to say thanks and recognize those who served," said Thomas.
It's a 10-step process to create the flags. There's painting, stapling, and the carving of the saluting soldier - one of Thomas' unique touches.
"It takes about a week to make 20 flags," says Thomas.
And he's all about perfecting the details. "I put the same effort into this flag, that I put into that flag, that I did to my second flag," said Thomas.
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Right now, he's finishing nearly 70 flags for the Oklahoma Warriors Honor Flight. "That's where the majority of my flags have been handed out over the years," said Thomas.
He gives them to Veterans at check-in. "We are losing our World War II Veterans more so now than ever. If you see a World War II Veteran, you really need to take advantage of the opportunity and see if they have a story. Just tell them thanks. That's a special group of individuals," he said.
He also gives a flag to all the Veterans at The Journey Home, a Bartlesville non-profit dedicated to end-of-life care.
"I'll probably never know the seeds I planted in these Veterans' lives, and I'll probably never know while I'm on this earth, but I'd like to think I made an impact," said Thomas.
He put his words into action for heroes willing to sacrifice it all.
"If there's something you want to do extra special for them, do it. If you've got a special gift, share it with the Veterans," said Thomas.
The Honor Flight takes off on October 1, 2024, and Daryl looks forward to handing out the flags that day.
Because Thomas does this in his spare time, he mainly makes the flags for The Honor Warrior Flights and the Veterans at The Journey Home.
To learn more check out this link: https://www.facebook.com/RF4Vets.
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