By Shannon McFarlin News Director
Henry, Tenn.–No, you can’t keep Old Glory down.
The American flag painted on Bettye and Lou Carter’s barn last summer was destroyed–along with the back of the barn–by one of the wind storms a few months ago. The barn is located on Steele Road near Henry.
The flag was especially important to them since it was painted for them last summer by Austin Dunagan and Katelyn O’Neal. Austin is the son of Stan and Stephanie Dunagan and a grandchild of Bettye and Lou Carter. Katelyn is the daughter of Jeremy and Lauren O’Neal.
Austin had scaled the official U.S. flag dimensions and calculated the size needed for the barn. Then he and Katelyn taped it off and he made the template/stencil for the stars. This had been a project that Austin had wanted to do for a few years.
With all that in mind, the Carters saved the flag pieces and when the Amish carpenters arrived to repair the barn and put on new siding, they also pieced the flag back together and put it back up.
It’s worth the drive down Steele Road to see Old Glory back on its rightful perch, looking over the countryside.
Photo by Shannon McFarlin.