For the past 99 years, November 11^th has been a day of honor and remembrance for the brave who have and are defending our great flag. Of course, this hits close to home with us here at The Heritage Flag Company®, where we spend our days handcrafting the stars and stripes. In fact, the very first Heritage Flag was a Veterans Day “thank you” gift three years ago. Since then, we are still saying thank you to the individuals that inspire, sacrifice, and protect for our grand nation.

This Veterans Day, we had the privilege of honoring a local hero and Purple Heart recipient. George Dawkins, the only child of a country farmer, grew up right down the road here in North Carolina. At age 19, George was drafted into the US Army. Upon completing basic training, he was shipped off to serve as part of the 198^th Infantry Division in the Vietnam War.

One evening George was out on patrol with his unit as the platoon radio man, when they were suddenly ambushed. He suffered gunshot wounds to both his head and neck. As choppers arrived to collect the fallen soldiers, George was loaded up among them and assumed to be dead- but that was not the case.

Fortunately, George survived his injuries but came back home to North Carolina a different man. Suffering memory loss and unaware of who he was or even his parents, George had to re-learn everything he once knew so well.

To this day George continues to live with plates in his cranium, scars along his head and neck, and fragments of a bullet lodged in his brain. His right arm has been permanently paralyzed. Determined to make the most of his situation, George was resilient and resolved to work around his condition. He grew up to raise three children with his wife Sandy of 43 years. With one hand, he taught them all how to swim, ride a bike, and tie their shoes.

Today at our shop, surrounded by his family, we presented George Dawkins with a Heritage Flag. We can’t comprehend the sacrifices he has made for us and our country, but we can thank him the best way know how. This Veterans Day, let’s all unite in thanking the service men and women in our lives for their patriotism and willingness give their all. 

Every Heritage Flag we craft has to have a story. A story of something special, original and meaningful- truly unique and one-of-a-kind. “Our products will never be made from materials that can be bought off the shelf,” says owner Heath Trigg. We’re proud to introduce The Homegrown Series of Heritage Flags, which continues our tradition of telling stories through our craftsmanship.

Our first flags in The Homegrown Series, The Pinehurst Homegrown Heritage Flags, start with the deeply rooted pine trees from the Sandhills of North Carolina- specifically from the 18 holes of the Pinehurst Number 2 Championship golf course. But, this is only half of the story. The plot is thickened with the story of a Moore County family deeply rooted in the sawmill and woodworking industry- one with a heritage of hard work and entrepreneurial spirit.

Owner Heath Trigg’s grandfather, Winford Williams, owned timber and sawmill businesses in the Sandhills his entire life. “My grandfather was one of eleven all born and raised in the Sandhills. He and all seven of his brothers purchased land and milled timber. This is something that’s in my blood. It’s crazy that one way or another, my family has been working with Pinehurst for years.”

In the fall of 2016, Hurricane Matthew caused sizable damage to the Sandhills and surrounding areas. As a result of the storm, Pinehurst Resort contacted Heath to remove fallen trees from around the Pinehurst golf courses taken by the storm.

“I have driven by those exact trees since I was born,” says Trigg. There was no way he was going to let that beautiful wood with such an incredible story, history and heritage go to waste. “I knew we needed to turn them into something special so I came up with a plan.”

Heath and his team cut, loaded and delivered the trees from the famous Pinehurst golf course to the company’s sawmill nearby. “Man, it was a lot of work!” says Trigg. “We milled somewhere around 140 old-growth Southern Yellow Pine trees from Pinehurst. It was some of the most beautiful lumber my grandfather or I had ever seen”.

Soon after, the first edition of The Homegrown Series of Heritage Flags was born; The Pinehurst Homegrown Heritage Flags! “It’s kind of like the first Heritage Flag that was given as a gift to three Veterans in October of 2014; just something that was meant to be.”

The Pinehurst Homegrown Heritage Flags offer a tangible memento from the Pinehurst Number 2 course to visiting golfers, or anyone who has an affinity for finely crafted American goods. It also, like all Heritage Flags, represents what it is to be truly American-made!

Every step of the process here at The Heritage Flag Company® is organic- from the raw materials that are hand-milled by our crew, to the one-of-a-kind, hand-made products we craft. “But it doesn’t stop there,” says Trigg. “Not only do we craft the finest American flags, we follow it up with unparalleled customer service! It’s special for a company to be able to say that and it’s something we are extremely proud of. In our opinion, this is the definition of the American Dream!”

The Pinehurst Homegrown Series of Heritage Flags have a lifetime warranty and are available in two sizes- The Longleaf measuring 49.5”x26” and the Shortleaf, measuring 24.5”x13”.

“I think my grandfather would be proud of the finished product!” says Trigg holding back his emotions. “He passed away this past February before we had the first of The Homegrown Flags complete.” One look at any of the products finely crafted by The Heritage Flag Company® and you can almost feel the sense of pride and passion that goes into these works of art!

One thing is for certain, if you’re looking for something one-of-a-kind that will leave a lasting impression and embodies the American spirit, look no further than a Heritage Flag! “A Heritage Flag will always be something more than just something hanging on the wall!” says Trigg. “And that’s something no one will ever be able to duplicate!”

Bad a$$! The 1^st Annual Heritage Block Party this weekend was incredible! Whew. What a success!

Thank you to all our amazing customers, friends and family who joined the 2,000ish people in attendance.

The food trucks were awesome and ALL sold out of food. Southern Pines Brewery went through 10 kegs- yeah y’all were feeling good and so were we!

Almost $11,000 in raffle tickets!! YES almost $11,000, that we donated to a great cause, MMIA.

We were honored to help Arsenia and her family say thank you to the people that helped her so much! Not a dry eye in the house! (Sorry for all the !’s.)

AND, we jammed with the Embers all afternoon. THE EMBERS!!! Played just for us! WHAT?? They brought the house down, or should I say our backyard gravel amphitheater!

I mean really, we couldn’t have planned a better day, with better people!

If you were a crazy person and missed it this year, make better life decisions next fall when we do it all again! In the mean time, stop in and see us at our new retail location at 230 S Bennett St in downtown Southern Pines. We will have something handcrafted just for you!

This weekend, let’s focus our attention on what it means to produce quality American made products and it all starts with the American Worker.  This nation grants us freedoms and opportunities but it takes a lot of sweat, hard work and determination to make something that will stand the test of time. We believe that quality, handmade, one-of-a-kind products are the true backbone of the American worker and we strive to do it better than anyone else in the world.  And of course at the end of the day, those couple sips of good old fashion bourbon while admiring your hard work never hurts!

In celebration of the American worker, we are starting our Meet the Craftsman series interviewing the guys in the shop that handcraft your one-of-a-kind Heritage Flags. It’s only fitting we start with Ben, who recently celebrated his five year anniversary with the company. We could not do what we do without you Ben! Thank you for all of your hard work!

Meet the Craftsman: Ben aka ‘Benny Man’

How long have you worked for The Heritage Flag Company?

Five years and three weeks.

Were you “good with wood” before you started working here?

Yes, I was. I’ve been working with wood pretty much all my life.

What pieces do you work on at the shop?

Dry assembly and all custom projects.

What do you love most about what you do?

Everything! In fact, there is nothin’ I don’t like. I love getting up and coming to work every day!

When it’s your turn to choose the music in the shop, what’s your go-to?

If it’s Friday, I like Señor Coconut.

What was your biggest mistake in the shop?

I did once miss two entire rows of stripes on a Double Barrel flag. We fixed it though.

Which is your favorite Heritage Flag?

I like the Old Glory Full Barrel.

What is your favorite shop tool?

My broom.

What are some of your hobbies outside of work?

I like fishing. I’ve been doing a lot of kayaking lately- that’s a lot of fun.

What is your favorite food?

I like BBQ ribs.

Biggest pet peeve?

Zev’s (another Heritage Flag Craftsman) music.

Favorite concert?

By far the Roger Waters concert that we just went to a couple months ago.

Rumor has it, you invented the Cask. Is this true?

That’s true. I was making a license plate for my pick-up truck originally.

What is your favorite hat?

I have a Volkswagen hat that I like.

Is there anywhere you wouldn’t wear a hat?

A funeral.

Would you wear one to a wedding?

I would.

What is your favorite beer?

Bud Light.

How many radio contests have you won?

At least 30.

Swing by The Heritage Flag retail store at 230 S. Bennett Street in Southern Pines, North Carolina to see some of Ben’s handiwork. If you’re lucky, Señor Coconut will be playing. 

We are very excied that The Heritage Flag Company is featured on the July cover of Our State Magazine! We enjoyed working with them and they did a wonderful job capturing the uniqueness of both our story and our flag. Pick up your copy on shelf or click here to view the digital version.

About Our State:

Each month, Our State magazine celebrates the very best of North Carolina through authentic storytelling and stunning photography. Since 1933, Our State has been the trusted resource for all things North Carolina. It’s the perfect source of information for those who’ve lived in North Carolina all their lives, those just becoming acquainted with the state, or those looking to visit or relocate. Discover new places to visit. Try new recipes. Uncover the history, culture, and beauty of North Carolina.

Cover & Feature Photos by Charles Harris

Jacob Bromwell was founded during the Panic of 1819, America's first major financial crisis. Their company is older than the invention of the light bulb, the telephone, the automobile, and even electricity. It was established during the era when James Monroe was President of the United States and only 30 years had passed since the United States Constitution was accepted. There were only 22 states in the Union at this time and the first open-land run of the territory of Oklahoma was still a projected 70 years away.

During this period, frontier entrepreneur Jacob Bromwell emigrated from Baltimore, Maryland to a quaint hamlet in Ohio coined Cincinnati, which was just being carved out of the virgin frontier forest. Mr. Bromwell, a veteran of the War of 1812, drifted down the Ohio River on a flatboat with a handful of wire looms where he was prudently able to jumpstart his entrepreneurship.

Bourbon, whiskey, and wine are aged for upwards of 10 years in white oak barrels, until reaching maturity. During that time, the barrels change in color, texture and character—taking on a life of their own, each becoming uniquely different. As the wine settles, the inside of the barrel is naturally stained a deep, earthy red. The outside of whiskey barrels are marked with age, proudly displaying the time spent at their respective distilleries.

The barrels travel across the country to our workshop, where they are handcrafted into a truly, one of a kind, Heritage Flag. From barrel to banner, each step in our process is taken slowly, with great attention to detail and quality. Staves are cut, stars are carved, and piece by piece, a Heritage Flag begins to take shape.

Many years in the making, each Heritage Flag is ingrained with history—a story we believe will continue to grow as our flags are passed down from generation to generation. 

The first Heritage Flag was created as a gift for 3 veterans chasing their American Dream. Ever since we have been creating one-of-a-kind flags in tribute to the amazing men and women that sacrifice so much in order to keep us safe. And we have met some truly incredible people along the way! We would like to thank everyone one of you for doing what you do.

You are the reason that we are able to create these American flags everyday at the Heritage Flag Company. Thank you for being awesome. Thank you for your service. Have a great Veteran’s Day!

The Semper Fi Heritage flag was created to continue our mission of saying thanks and honoring the brave men and women who serve our nation.

The original three Semper Fi Heritage Flags were made in honor of those lost in the tragic shooting in Chattanoga, TN. Sending these flags to the families was our way of saying thank you for the ultimate sacrifice they have made. 

“Some people spend an entire lifetime wondering if they made a difference in the world. Marines don’t have that problem.” –Ronald Reagan

The fourth Semper Fi Heritage Flag was presented to Marine Corps Commandant, General Neller by the Semper Fi Found the Friday before the 2015 Marine Corps Marathon. We had the pleasure of experiencing the power of the Marine Corps marathon first-hand when we joined Team Semper Fi in D.C. last month. It should be noted that Semper Fi Fund is the largest charitable partner for the MCM. We were humbled that the Heritage Flag got to play a small role in this.

While the Semper Fi Heritage Flag has already been on quite a journey, today on the 240^th birthday of the United States Marine Corps, we present this flag to you. To all you Marines out there, thank you for your service! OO-RAH!

Check out the Semper Fi flag here.

To continue our mission of giving back to those who give so much, we want to take the time to say thank you to people that inspire, motivate, and protect as often as possible. Heritage road trips do something for the soul. Our trip to Ground Zero on the 14^th anniversary of an event that changed the world, was sure to change us.

The idea for this 9/11 road trip started in Washington D.C. in November of 2014 when my photographer and I were presenting one of our first Heritage Flags at Arlington National Ceremony. The power behind this surprise presentation inspired me to want to create something special for the heroes that saved countless lives on that September day and honor those lost.

We decided to build ten Red First Responder Heritage Flags, load up the truck and personally deliver to the closest fire stations to Ground Zero. We didn’t want a plan, a script, or a show. We just wanted to say thanks and that’s exactly what we did.

To say it was a powerful experience is an understatement. There are not many words that can explain the emotions, the strength, the brotherhood, the passion, and the power we felt on that day. To those who serve and protect this great nation, thank you! We will never forget!