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Remembering 9/11: Patriotism reflected at Cobbs Creek flag factory

If owning an American flag counts as a sign of patriotism, then a lot more people became patriotic after Sept. 11, 2001. David Downs, vice president of Star Fields LLC in Cobbs Creek, said that business increased significantly for flag makers after 9/11, and his factory worked around the clock to fill orders for American flags.

Downs recalled watching the events of 9/11 unfold on a small television at the plant 10 years ago.

"We didn’t know what the next act would be or what would happen," he said.

But what he discovered was that Americans wanted a visible symbol of their love for country, and they latched on to Old Glory. Annin Flagmakers of New Jersey, now Star Fields’ parent company, told the Cobbs Creek plant to ramp up production to fill a demand that was 20 times normal, and pretty soon employees at Star Fields were working around the clock.

"The demand was unprecedented," said Downs. "We couldn’t keep up."

Production...

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