Local volunteers use Old Glory to honor vets

BATON ROUGE, LA (WAFB) - Bobby Deangelo's oilfield equipment business takes on a new flurry of activity in lunch hours and the after-hours like evenings and weekends. You hear the sounds of machinery for wood, however, in Universal Industrial Assets. A saw cuts perfect miter corners: a machine that staples fabric to wood.

Deangelo is in the process of custom-framing a thousand American flags.

"It's a very tedious operation," Bradley Ricks says about framing. Ricks didn't know a thing about framing when he volunteered to help Deangelo with his project.

"If it's off," Ricks says, "You can tell," about the exacting nature of what they must do. It must be perfect.

Deangelo says "I love this country. I love our military. I don't think our military gets what they deserve. I don't think the families get taken care of." That's why he sought out six veterans organizations and negotiated this fundraiser. It's officially called the "Just Cause Flag Campaign".

Deangelo's idea is that for $500, a person can buy a beautiful frame with an American flag carefully prepared for display.

"These charities (veterans groups) agreed they would not use any of the money for administrative costs. 100 percent of this is going to the cause," Deangelo says.

Volunteer Sean Lagarosse never thought he'd be a professional at ironing.  But he prepares the flag.  He volunteered without knowing what he'd be doing. "I didn't know what it was until I got here," Lagarosse says.

As soon as the flag is produced, it is placed in bubble wrap for shipping.

Deangelo feels sure he'll sell a thousand. People are proud of their countries. And the money, a half-million dollars is all for veterans.

"We know that the 500-thousand is going to go. It's going to do something. Small, but it'll do something."

If you would like your own framed flag, visit JustCauseFlagCampaign.org At is the website, you can order a flag to be delivered to your home. In donating the $500, you can also choose which veterans organization gets your donation.

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