Honor the American flag and its esteemed significance for our nation at the annual Allen Flag Day Celebration,10:30 a.m. Saturday, June 14. The event will be hosted at the historic Allen Christian Church, 450 E. St. Mary Dr. Councilman Tommy Baril will open the ceremony.

Frank Stepka will share the saga of his two tours of duty in Vietnam. During his first tour, he was a Navy gunman in the Mekong Delta, and the second time he served as a corpsman. Born 1950 in Cleveland, Ohio, he relocated to Allen in 1980 (He emphasizes that he is Texan by choice, not by accident). Frank is a life member of both the Viet Nam Veterans of America and the USS Basilone Association, holding the offices of chaplain, assistant treasurer and historian. Frank is married to his wife Stephie for 53 years. Their daughter Michelle and son Frank Jr both played in Allen Eagle Escadrille under Craig Logan.

The Allen Community Jazz Band will perform a medley of patriotic music, and Sandra Reed, Regent of Bernardo de Galvez Chapter DAR, will share “I Am the Flag.”

In addition, VFW 2195 will present and post the colors, and General Bernardo de Galvez Chapter DAR will feature a “Retirement of Colors and Taps.”

Bring your deteriorated flags for proper disposal.

Sponsored by Allen Heritage Guild, VFW Armistice Memorial Post 2195, General Bernardo de Galvez Chapter Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR), and Allen Community Band, this program is free.

After the program, guests will be invited to the Depot to view the exhibits. Hours of operation of the Heritage Center are available on the Guild website at www.allenheritageguild.org.

For information, call 972-740-8017.