POINT LOMA, Calif -- Nobody knew why it was there. Everybody thought it was just some old flag hanging on a wall.
But it wasn’t just some old flag. It was a symbol of honor.
The flag that now adorns a wall at Riley’s Sports and Music Lounge formerly covered a fallen Marine’s casket.
“There were very few people who knew the history of the flag,” said Leo Laurence, J.D., San Diego journalist and former Navy photographer. “So I began to let different people know what the story is.”
It all started earlier this year.
“I was playing pool with a fellow who was a Marine,” he said. “He confided in me. He told me two things: One, he had no family and two that he was going to Iraq next week.”
The Marine leaned over and whispered in Laurence’s ear.
“I’m a truck driver,” the Marine said.
To Laurence, it seemed the Marine almost knew he might not come back. At that time, it was very rough for truck drivers in Iraq because of the insurgents’ roadside bombs.
“A few months later my doorbell rang,” Laurence recalled. “Two Marines were there and they had a flag folded like a triangle and they said, ‘on behalf of the United States...’”
The news hit him like a ton of bricks.
“I’ve had several flags but this flag was very special to me,” Laurence said.
He paused to gain his composure.
“It’s difficult for me to talk about this flag because … because I begin to cry because … to me … that flag represents…one Marine,” Laurence said.
Laurence knew he had to display the flag somewhere where masses of people would see.
He asked Riley’s owners if they would hang the flag up on the wall behind the music stage at a military event recently.
“The owners agreed with me that we need to do more for the military,” Laurence said.
But when Laurence shared the story of the origin of the flag, things changed.
“Leo told me about the flag,” said Jason Welton, half-owner of Riley’s. “It added to everything. Not being in the military sometimes you take things for granted, but the story adds a whole new perspective to the flag.”
So from that moment on the flag was treated and handled with special care, Laurence said.
The flag is still up.
“I’m glad it’s on display and not folded up in my closet,” Laurence said. “It’s there to honor a fallen Marine.”
The flag is not only for active duty service members but also for those who didn’t make it, he added.
The owners always thought the American flag represented something great, but the piece of cloth became more than a symbol, said Laurence.
“Since it came on a Marines casket it really stands out there and it has a deeper meaning to me to Jason and to the military,” said Stephen “Hano” Hanson, also a half-owner of Riley’s.
“They can just look at it,” Hanson said. “Hopefully it touches their heart.”
Laurence has an idea that the flag will stay up there for some time.