Travelers on I-75 may find themselves feeling more patriotic as they zoom toward Exit 336 (Rocky Face) thanks to the installation of a large American flag at Ford of Dalton, said Dealer Principal Jason Denson.
Monday, Denson and Ford of Dalton employees held a flag dedication at the dealership at 925 Shugart Road. A 30-foot by 50-foot American flag was raised atop a 130-foot-tall flagpole on the property.
After American Legion Post 112 Legionnaires Janet Duncan, Junior Hammontree, Anthony Robinson and Don Gray, as well as Ford of Dalton staff members, raised the flag, Dalton/Whitfield Community Band Director Smitty Barnett played “The Star-Spangled Banner” on his silver trumpet.
“It’s a special day for all of us at Ford of Dalton and we’re so blessed to be able to come and help dedicate this flag to the service members of Whitfield County and the city of Dalton,” Denson said. “I can’t wait to see it fly for many, many years.”
The flagpole, which measures 130 feet above ground with 14 additional feet in-ground, was installed by Tyson & Associates Construction Co. Inc. of Ringgold, who had representatives in attendance to help dedicate the flag.
“James Tyson and Tyson & Associates was our general contractor that really helped do all of this project,” Denson said. “I want to give special thanks to them because that was a little bit of a task.”
Also in attendance were Denson’s business partner Tommy Thompson and their families, and members of the Ford family.
“These are just some of our vital partners that are such awesome contributors to our success, so thank you all for being here,” Denson said. “This is a big deal. (The night of May 8) we had a little bit of a storm and I thought we were going to be delayed.”
Denson said the area in which guests were standing adjacent to the flagpole had been “waist-deep in water” less than a week before.
“I was really worried that we were going to have to delay this process, but thankfully we’re able to have it today,” he said.
When Barnett received a call from Denson to be a part of the flag dedication he said he was “honored to come and do it.”
“We are fortunate to live in a country that allows us the freedoms to be able to prosper and grow,” Barnett said. “That flag symbolizes many, many things. It symbolizes not just our country, but the men and women who fought for what we get to enjoy. I’m very proud of our country, very proud of where we live. And I just love Dalton.”
State Sen. Chuck Payne, R-Dalton, who also attended the ceremony, said the flag at the dealership, which Denson and Thompson began in 2018, is another “step in the right direction” for commerce in Dalton and in Georgia.
“To think back to just a few years ago when there were very few cars on this lot, and to now see it slammed full, it just shows that we’re moving in that right direction,” Payne said. “But as a guy who was a paratrooper in the (U.S. Army in the 82nd Airborne Division), it’s greater than just commerce that this flag represents.”
Payne said the flag will help to bring a sense of pride to the Rocky Face area, while bringing “attention and light” to the nearby exit off I-75.
“People can get off and realize how much they can see and do here at this exit, too, not just on Walnut Avenue,” Payne said. “I think this is huge. And I just got to thinking about the fact that we’re coming up on Memorial Day and what it means. When they were raising that flag, I was just in pause in remembering those who never made it home.”
While Denson said it was a great privilege to have the community participate in the flag dedication, he also spoke of a different kind of dedication.
“I want to thank the Ford of Dalton team,” he said. “Thank you all for your dedication. We’ve got several that decided to help be a part of the flag crew, because it (took) a lot of them to help raise it.”
Denson said the flag will be a “nice added piece to the beautiful landscape of the Rocky Face exit.”
“Just to be able to dedicate this to all of the service members who are currently serving and the veterans and POWs (prisoners of war) that have served our wonderful country through the years, this is great,” he said. “My grandfather (Joe Bill Denson) was in the U.S. Navy, so I know what sacrifice these families make. To be able to have this as a symbol right here is really a big honor.”