Unflagging Support

[thedrifter]

Unflagging Support

Cyndi Brown

LIfestyles Editor

Two memorable quotes were uttered in connection to Sept. 11, 2001: President Bush?s ?We will not tire, we will not falter, we will not fail,? and ?Let?s roll,? attributed to Todd Beamer. Brenda Quinn personalized the phrases for a Marine and a Sailor both deployed in February to the Middle East in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

Quinn, a quality assurance evaluator at Naval Hospital Camp Lejeune, sewed two American flags, printed with the familiar words, and presented one each to Navy Lt. Estella Salinas and Marine Cpl. Scotty
R. Crompton to fly at their new posts.

Living far from home, with the threat of war looming, Quinn hopes that when each looks upon the familiar colors flying, they will think about, ?What they?re there for,? she says. She also hopes the American symbol will remind them that those at home support the mission.

?I think we need to do more to show our support. As civilians, it?s hard to say thank you, to show a way that we support.? says Quinn, who is Mrs. Claus for the command at Christmas and Big Shot the clown during health fairs. (?I like doing things for other people,? says the woman who hails, fittingly, from Comfort.)

Quinn?s most recent show of support began as she was helping Crompton, who has been dating Quinn?s daughter Amanda Brown for nearly a year, get ready to deploy. ?My heart?s kind of attached to him,? says Quinn of the Marine who is part of New River?s Crash, Fire and Rescue.

As the former wife of a Vietnam War veteran, Quinn says she knew the separation would be tough on the young couple.

?My words to both of them was if you love each other now, you?re going to love each other more when you get back,? says Quinn. ?The bond just grows stronger and stronger.?

But in Quinn?s mind, at least one question remained. ?I said,? remembers Quinn, ??As a civilian, what can I do???

As she was shopping for material to sew bags to cover Crompton?s military pack, she came across the red, white and blue fabric and bought enough to make two flags.

Quinn says it took about an hour to sew the first flag, which she presented to the corporal from Charlotte.

?My daughter?s boyfriend was just in tears over his,? says Quinn, adding that Salinas was touched by the gift as well.

?She was impressed that we thought about something like that from the command here,? says Quinn.

Quinn was an LPN at Naval Hospital for 20 years. During that time, she worked with Salinas, who was the charge nurse over the hospital?s immunization clinic, as well as the ?mystery lady? who fed the MPs on duty at the front gate after 9/11.

?She supported me in so many ways, emotionally and personally, when she was my charge nurse,? explains Quinn, who has known Salinas for three years.

?I felt like I had to do something in return to let her know I?m supporting her mission.

?I think as communities,? Quinn adds, ?we need to be doing more for these people.?

Sometimes, however, giving can have an ulterior motive ? like when Quinn presented the flag to Salinas.

?The catch was, it doesn?t matter what shape (Salinas? flag) comes back in, I want it returned and presented to me when I retire from civil service,? says Quinn, who says that day is still a long way off.

?It?ll make me feel like I had a small part in it.?


Sempers,

Roger