Flying high

Lolita Harper

O say, if you can’t see it -- by the dawn’s early light, or any light

-- you should forget about the oversized show of patriotism on the

campus and walk right into Hoag Hospital for an eye examination.

Members of Celebration USA Inc. teamed up with hospital officials

Friday to produce a 30-foot-by-50-foot display of Old Glory, hanging

from the crane used for construction of Hoag’s Women’s Pavilion, in

honor of the Labor Day holiday. Before a spellbound audience outside

the site, the 42-pound flag was hoisted to the top of the Liebherr

crane, which is being used to build the state-of-the-art facility.

The construction workers, dusty and hot from a full day’s work on

the heavy machinery, surrendered their hefty equipment to accommodate

the presentation. Still wearing hard hats and overalls, those who can

deeply appreciate the meaning of “labor” day gave a rousing cheer as

the enormous flag was hoisted into the air.

Others, with fewer smudges on their clothes but no less spirit in

their voice, yelled, whistled, clapped and hooted at high-flying Old

Glory.

Debra Legan, the hospital’s president of marketing, said

representatives from Celebration USA approached the hospital with the

proposal to display the enormous flag, and Hoag officials jumped at

the chance.

“We are just learning about [their organization], but the crane

being used to put up the framework for the women’s center provided

the ideal spot to commemorate Labor Day, and we gladly participated,”

Legan said.

The patriotic organization was founded in 1992 by Paula Burkton,

also known as “the flag lady.” She was living in war-torn Holland in

1941, quieting the rumblings in her small belly with food dropped by

American planes. She escaped from a Nazi camp and later came to

America to become a citizen and raise a family, officials said.

The flag hoisted high on Friday is set to be unfurled again on

Sept. 17, Constitution Day. On that day, Celebration USA officials

organize “Pledge Across America,” a synchronized recital of the

Pledge of Allegiance.

Astronaut Buzz Aldrin will be leading the West Coast part of the

event.

The massive crane used in the construction and the commemoration

reaches 414 feet from ground level to the top. The height is divided

into two sections, officials said, the “main boom” of 184 feet 2

inches and the “luffing boom” that adds the other 230 feet. The

colossal crane weighs 1.4 million pounds and can pick up about 84,000

pounds.

Just enough torque to adequately represent the pride in this

nation’s workers, officials said.

Hoag’s Women’s Pavilion is scheduled to be completed in 2005. More

information on Celebration USA can be found at

https://www.celebrationusa.org.

* LOLITA HARPER writes columns Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and

covers culture and the arts. She may be reached at (949) 574-4275 or

by e-mail at lolita.harper@latimes.com.