Walking across the Frank J. Wood Bridge at sunset on Veterans Day, looking at American flags dangling from the cranes constructing the new bridge, I was struck with a feeling both of gratitude for those who served and are currently serving our country and also by the ability of a flag to remind people in a simple way about our connection to each other. I say this in the wake of the election, which has certainly both caused and illuminated divisions within our country and also in the wake of a state vote on what our Maine flag should be.
Earlier in the day, a group of people walked from the Veterans Plaza on the town green and ended up on that same bridge where I now stood in honor of the veterans who hailed from or passed through Brunswick, as well as those beyond. This was Brunswick’s second annual Veterans Day Ceremony and Walk. It began with a ceremony hosted by the American Legion Auxiliary Units 20 and 202 and was followed by the group walk ending at the bridge. Brunswick’s military history is rich and complicated including familiar names like Joshua Chamberlain, who played a pivotal role in the Civil War, and familiar places like Brunswick Landing, which not everyone might be aware was formerly the site of the Brunswick Naval Air Station through which innumerable military personnel passed over many generations.
So much of our military is water-based — from the Navy and the Coast Guard whose primary missions are on the water to the Marines and the Air Force, which also have units that operate on the water. The training and expertise required along with the risks taken by the people participating in those military branches is truly impressive and the scale of it is too often missed.
In the debate over whether to change the Maine flag, the elements included on that flag were in question as was the design. The current flag, and the one that will continue to represent Maine, features the state seal with a pine tree, moose, farmer and seaman on a blue background. Of these symbols, the only overlap with the newly proposed flag is the pine tree. It is interesting to note that the connection to the sea is not represented in this flag and something I didn’t think of until looking at the U.S. flag from the bridge that day.
More locally, efforts have been made to replace our town’s flag. It currently looks similar to the state flag — the town seal on a blue background. Also, much like the state flag, it features a farmer and a clammer. A proposal was made to replace it with a design that looks a bit like the newly proposed state flag but with the element of water as an addition. There is more detailed symbolism of these water elements that are meant to represent specific bays and waterways in Brunswick. Currently, both original flag designs — town and state — remain.
I’m not an expert in vexillology, the study of flags and their symbolism, but I do find it interesting to consider the symbols we choose to represent the place where we live and how they celebrate the people and the heritage of that place. And seeing our nation’s flag on Veterans Day was an unexpected reminder of how meaningful a flag can be and its power to inspire pride and gratitude for those it stands for.
Susan Olcott is the director of strategic partnerships at Maine Coast Fishermen’s Association.