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SANDY — It was an emotional moment for the family of a fallen soldier as a massive American flag was unveiled to them Tuesday for the first time.
"I can't even think of words for it. It's beautiful, it's majestic and amazing," said an emotion Jennie Taylor, the widow of Maj. Brent Taylor, North Ogden’s former mayor who was killed while serving with the Utah National Guard in Afghanistan.
"To really see it spread out like this is just unbelievable; larger than life is all I can think," she said. "A lot of blood has gone into keeping this flag flying, not just ours."
To really see it spread out like this is just unbelievable; larger than life is all I can think. A lot of blood has gone into keeping this flag flying, not just ours.
–Jennie Taylor, widow of Maj. Brent Taylor
The flag, which is 78 feet wide and 150 feet long, is an exact replica of the flag that flew in Coldwater Canyon shortly after Brent Taylor was killed.
That flag belongs to the nonprofit organization called Follow the Flag, which has been flying “flags of healing” since 2015.
Hikers helped carry the 400-pound flag up the canyon for everyone to see.
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The community of North Ogden loved it so much that they raised $50,000 to get their own flag in honor of Brent Taylor so that they could fly it every year.
On Tuesday afternoon, dozens of volunteers showed up at the Mountain America Expo Center, 9575 S. State in Sandy, to help with some of the final touches of the new flag.
"He would be the first to remind everyone it's not his flag, it's not his freedom; it's something bigger than all of us, straight from God,” Jennie Taylor said. “I feel Brent very closely, and fortunately, he and I can both say that long before we ever knew and loved each other we loved this country."
Related:
Service and Sacrifice: The Brent Taylor Story
Through interviews with his family, coworkers, fellow soldiers and community leaders, KSL explores how those priorities and commitments helped Maj. Brent Taylor make such a large difference in the world around him.
