San Jose crane business flies 1,800 square foot American flag for 4th to honor Vietnam vet
SAN JOSE – For nearly two decades, a South Bay construction crane company has carried on a flag-raising tradition during the most patriotic holidays, hoisting a massive American flag hundreds of feet above their business.
"On the Fourth of July, it's about America. On Veterans' Day, it's about the veterans. And on Memorial Day, it's about the people who have given all they have to give," said Lowell Tucker, owner of West Coast Cranes.
Lowell said their newest flag – raised on the eve of the Fourth of July holiday – measures 30 feet high and 60 feet wide. He says it's a grand gesture aimed principally at an audience of one.
"My father flew helicopters in Vietnam. And that's a huge source of pride for me. And once that gets flying today, I shoot my dad a quick little video and call him up," he said.
Lowell said he likewise hopes the country's appreciation for the service and sacrifice of Vietnam-era vets has deepened with time.
"Most of us Americans are aware that of the fact that the Vietnam vets did not get the respect that they deserved. It wasn't political for my father. He went over there and did what he thought he had to do. He was just serving his country at the time," Lowell said.
According to Lowell, the flag-raising tradition stretches back 18 years to when he first opened his business, which was then headquartered in Santa Cruz County.
The business and the flag have grown in the intervening years but he says the sight of the flag billowing in the wind still stirs many of the same emotions.
"Every time we fly that flag, there's just a sense of awe. And it's majestic to see the stars and stripes in the wind," he said.
