Eben Junction couple is serious about flying flags.

EBEN JUNCTION -- When asked if he is a “vexillologist” (one who studies and is well-informed about flags), Bob Bannasch of Eben Junction laughs.  “I consider myself a knowledgeable flag person,” he says.  Bob and his wife, Terri, are enthusiastic about flying the American flag; Bob installs flagpoles.  Sometimes he does it for free.  Sometimes he does it for money.  But he always does it with pride and commitment. 

“It’s a patriotic thing,” he explains.  “I’d like to see one everywhere.  The thing about flying the flag…People appreciate it.”  He considers it to be an immediate bond between him and others.

When Bob was a boy, he said his parents always had a flagpole and an American flag.  In his adult life he and Terri have had several houses, and the first thing they have done is put up a flagpole.  “It’s the first thing I did when we moved in here,” he says, gesturing toward the 25-foot flagpole and the 5-foot by 8-foot flag rippling above their front yard. The Bannasch family has flags for all occasions: Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day, Christmas, and Halloween. 

“We had a Lions flag, but we’ve buried that for this year,” they say, laughing.  Their American flag is always at the top of the pole, according to flag etiquette, with the smaller ones below.  On the 4th of July, Memorial Day, and Labor Day, they fly the “Betsy Ross” flag.  They even have a spotlight for night time viewing.  “When the wind is just right…boy, that looks majestic,” Bob says.

Bob installs and maintains flagpoles and flags all over the Upper Peninsula for Rocket Enterprise, Inc of Warren, Michigan.  It’s a family pursuit, with sixteen year old son Kirk helping out in the summers and Terri mending the nylon flags they furnish to customers.  When the flags become wind tattered, she can repair them once or twice before they need to be replaced.  The choice of site will determine how much wind the flag and pole will experience.

Deciding how to situate the flagpole is a huge part of the job.  “I want to make them look nice,” Bob says.  “But safety first.  That’s the number one consideration.”  He adds, “If it’s a 25-foot pole, you’d better be more than 25 feet from a power line.”  He thinks a 45 degree angle from the residence usually looks good, but surrounding trees, and predominant wind speed and direction all play a part in the site analysis.  Proportion of flag size to pole is also important, according to the Bannaschs.  They think a 20-foot pole with a 3-by-5 or 4-by-6 foot flag looks nice at a residence.  Installation includes the pouring of a minimum of 560 pounds of concrete for a 25-foot flagpole

“A large number of poles I put in are for veterans,” Bob explains. “They want to display the stars and stripes.”  He and Terri believe displaying the American flag is like a “thank you” to the veterans.  Terri said that rather than seeing so many veterans flying the flag, “I want the seven neighbors on each side of them to fly the flag for them, to thank him for his service.”  Most flag variations are also vet-related: POW, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Vietnam veteran flags are a few of those they’ve installed.

Terri said she and Bob notice every pole they pass.  Their dedication to the display of the American flag has led them to donate and install the thirty foot flagpole at Superior Central School, where they mend or replace the flag two or three times a year.   They have been known to replace flags on friends’ flagpoles on a drive-by basis.     “One time they did ours during a party,” explains Chatham resident Crystal Richard. They were over, then they disappeared, and we looked out and – oh my gosh – there they were replacing our flag!  They up-sized us to a bigger flag that time, too.”  She says Bob told them they couldn’t have a “little postage stamp flying from that magnificent flagpole.” 

Bob was glad to be called to replace the flagpole at the Chatham Community Credit Union. “They had a chintzy pole…the wind took care of that.  I changed the location; I wanted it to line up with their sign and be centered with their building…” Bob says happily.  They’ve also assisted people with their homemade flagpoles.  “Apart from the business end, there’s nothing more satisfying.  It’s not just about putting in one of my flagpoles.  It’s about having a flagpole, whether it’s one of mine or one someone’s made out of a cedar tree.”

Bob Bannasch can be contacted at 1-800-ROCKET-1 or view the company’s website at www.rocketenterprise.com.       

TV6 Contributor Linda Sirois, Alger County