PHILADELPHIA –
Maintaining the tradition of America’s first flag maker, two embroiders from the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support Flag Room demonstrated hand embroidery of the presidential flag at the Betsy Ross House Flag Makers’ Hall June 12 to celebrate “Flag Fest.”
“Flag Fest,” hosted by the Betsy Ross House , included daily programming to celebrate National Flag Week, Flag Day, and the semi-quincentennial of both the nation and the American flag from June 5 to14, according to its website.
DLA Troop Support hand embroiderers Duwenavue Sante Johnson and Helen Hua Nguyen interacted with museum guests and displayed examples of hand embroidered flags created in the Flag Room.
“I’m grateful for the opportunity to be here,” Nguyen said. “The visitors are very nice, and they ask about the history.”
Johnson and Nguyen are among nearly a dozen Flag Room employees continuing DLA Troop Support’s flag-making tradition of more than 150 years.
Johnson has worked in the Flag Room for 11 years and has an international embroidery background, including attending the Royal School of Needlework in the United Kingdom and Ecole Lesage in Paris, France.
“Working at the Betsy Ross House during the 250th semi-quincentennial is a big honor for the DLA Flag Room to be able to present their mission in this new Flag Makers’ Hall,” Johnson said.
Nguyen has been part of the Flag Room team for seven years learned hand embroidery and tailoring in her home country of Vietnam, making traditional clothing, including the áo dài, when she first moved to the U.S.
Embroidery specialists work on more than 350 types of flags annually as requested by military customers and government agencies, including making hand embroidered presidential and vice-presidential flags for the White House.