Danny Turner arrived planning to give away a flag, but instead, he got one.
He didn’t know it, but he was lured to the Sunday Afternoon Lecture at the MHC Heritage Museum by W.C. Fowlkes so that he, Danny, would be honored. But in typical Danny Turner fashion, he showed up prepared to honor someone else.
If you don’t know Danny personally but you know the name, then most surely, you’ve seen the name in connection with community service. One of the things Danny, who has served on Martinsville City Council, is known for is for having flags flown over the nation’s capital in honor of local people who have served the community and/or nation in some way or another.
In fact, personally speaking, he had an American flag flown over the Capitol in honor of my grandfather, Lucien Morin, a World War II veteran who served in the Pacific Theatre, and also a judge and then a public officeholder.
But I know of Danny well beyond that. In my nearly 20 years as a newspaper reporter and editor, I’ve seen Danny at any and all public functions involving patriotism or community service. He is there usually to honor a veteran, or some veterans, especially by presenting them with flags. Now that I am the executive director of the MHC Historical Society, I come across Danny in the past – reading newspaper articles of community projects he did even as a high-schooler – and in the present, as he reaches out to me now and then for various history-related projects.
At the conclusion of the latest Sunday Afternoon Lecture – the theme of which, appropriately and yet coincidentally, was Flags of America, the program presented by Scott Koebel of Woodmen of the World – W.C. Fowlkes came up to the podium.
Danny is “someone who’s done a lot for the community, and I’ve worked with a lot,” W.C. said. “Today was so appropriate because he does so much for the U.S. flag.”
The flag in Danny’s honor was ordered by an anonymous citizen who asked W.C. to present it, because for years W.C. and Danny have worked together to help and honor veterans. That includes going to Arlington National Cemetery to take pictures of every grave of everyone from Martinsville and Henry County who is buried in Arlington, and sending those pictures to family members of those buried.
With almost half a million graves and the only way to get around is by walking, that is quite an endeavor the patriotic pair go through.
They also started the local version of Wreaths Across America, laying wreaths at local graves of veterans.
Danny came to the podium. W.C. held out a flag and a certificate that came with it. W.C. read the certificate: “This is to certify that the accompanying flag was flown over the United States Capitol. The flag was flown at the request of the Honorable H. Morgan Griffith, member of Congress, to honor Danny Turner, a true patriot and servant of Martinsville and surrounding communities, whose lifelong contributions are appreciated by his many fans and friends as well as by those who reap the benefits of his works without knowing he was responsible.”
Turner, adorned in a navy blue shirt with bold red and white stripes, and a U.S. flag patch by the lapel, accepted the flag, saying, “I appreciate this. I was wanting to suggest that if anybody wanted to give me something for Christmas – well, I had ordered 42 flags, I think. Mr. and Mrs. King were the 41st,” referring to Dr. Mervyn and Mrs. Virginia King, the benefactors of the expansion of the MHC Heritage Museum, and seated there in the audience during the presentation to Danny. “Congressmen Goode was the 42nd.” Goode’s was the flag Danny had brought with him to present at the program.
“I’ve had a flag flown over the Virginia Capitol, but this indeed will be the honored flag in my house,” he said.
That flag for Danny Turner was ordered by a random, anonymous citizen who said his or her feelings of appreciation toward Danny represent those of the community at large. That citizen asked W.C. to do the presentation from having recognized that W.C. and Danny do so many projects together.
Any of us can order a flag to be flown over the Capitol to honor anyone. What a great gift for Christmas or Veterans Day! Just look up “Flag Order Form Honorable H. Morgan Griffith” or go to https://flagorder.house.gov/FlagOrder.aspx?ssdd=VA09. You write your own message to go on the certificate. Prices range from $24 to $34, with another $10 or $20 shipping charges.
Hats off to public servants such as Danny Turner, W.C. Fowlkes, and others who do so much for our community such as Curtis Millner, and many more. Let us not take them for granted but rather appreciate their good works.
