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Truly Significant Texans honors Pat Craven of the Flag History Project · GO TEXAN THE Truly Significant

• 0:21
  Speaker 1: Welcome back to Truly Significant Texan. We're broadcasting live from
• 0:27
  Speaker 1: Newsome Vineyards here in Comfort, Texas. And in walks Pat Craven.
• 0:50
  Speaker 2: Hey, here's to you too. Founder, chairman of the Flag
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  Speaker 2: History Project.
• 0:56
  Speaker 1: Welcome. Thank you, Rick. Appreciate it. Good to see you.
• 0:59
  Speaker 2: Tell us your backstory.
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  Speaker 1: Well, we created an educational program called the Flag History Project.
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  Speaker 1: The idea is a way to teach history that isn't
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  Speaker 1: just the memorization that we all did back in school.
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  Speaker 1: It's a way to be able to do it in
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  Speaker 1: a fun, different way, getting people interested in U.S. history,
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  Speaker 1: Texas history, and even Civil War history through the flags
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  Speaker 1: that flew. There's always so many great stories behind them.
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  Speaker 1: There is the battles that they were a part of,
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  Speaker 1: and we think it's just going to be a fun
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  Speaker 1: way to be able to engage people, both young and old,
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  Speaker 1: learning about history through the American flags. I love that.
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  Speaker 3: I'll take you back to 1962, Sherman, Texas, first grade.
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  Speaker 3: All we learned about was Texas, the lone star flag,
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  Speaker 3: and six flags over Texas. So we didn't know that
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  Speaker 3: we were a part of the United States until we
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  Speaker 3: started talking about six flags because Texas was its own republic.
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  Speaker 2: And we actually learned, Pat, about Texas through the flags.
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  Speaker 1: Right, right. That's a great example. I mean, yes, it
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  Speaker 1: was one of the ones that, Yes, and I think
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  Speaker 1: that's one of the funnest stories, I think, because most
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  Speaker 1: people I talk to don't even get what that one's about.
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  Speaker 1: That wasn't one of the six flags, but the come
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  Speaker 1: and take it flag, I think, is just one of
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  Speaker 1: the coolest stories behind it. People don't know why is
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  Speaker 1: there a cannon. They just think it's a battle. And
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  Speaker 1: the story behind that, when the Gonzales flag is that
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  Speaker 1: the town of Gonzales was given a cannon by the
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  Speaker 1: Mexican government to protect itself from the natives. Right. And
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  Speaker 1: when the revolution was beginning for independence from Mexico, Mexico said,
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  Speaker 1: we want our cannon back. And the people of Gonzales said,
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  Speaker 1: come and take it.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, or as I think, come and get it.
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  Speaker 3: There must be a new flag that's out there.
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  Speaker 2: You see, that's kind of history that I wonder about.
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  Speaker 3: The significance of the Confederate flag flying over Texas. And
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  Speaker 3: back in the 60s at Six Flags, they used to
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  Speaker 3: have a Johnny Rebel section.
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  Speaker 2: They're no longer.
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  Speaker 1: A part of that. That wouldn't go big these days.
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  Speaker 2: But nonetheless, flags are such a big part of our history.
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  Speaker 2: How far do you take this? This is a Betsy
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  Speaker 2: Ross thing?
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  Speaker 1: We're going back beyond that. We're going to go back
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  Speaker 1: to when Columbus sailed the ocean blue. And from the
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  Speaker 1: American side, there'll be the Spanish flags. You've got the
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  Speaker 1: British flags, of course, that led up to it. And
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  Speaker 1: then the evolution of the American flag. We have some 24,
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  Speaker 1: 25 flags that we're featuring. And there could be, we
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  Speaker 1: could double that easily. We're not going to get into
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  Speaker 1: every time we added a state, we added a star.
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  Speaker 1: That's pretty self-explanatory. But we're going to do that and
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  Speaker 1: we're going to tell the stories behind that. And then
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  Speaker 1: we're doing the same with Texas. Everybody talks about the
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  Speaker 1: six flags of Texas. We've got 24, 25 of those
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  Speaker 1: different flags that are going to help tell the story
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  Speaker 1: of Texas. And we created a Facebook page. We just
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  Speaker 1: started working on this back in January. Flag History Project.
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  Speaker 1: And we've got some 12 1,000 followers already in just
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  Speaker 1: six months.
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  Speaker 2: Good grief.
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  Speaker 1: That people are just really eating this up. And that's
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  Speaker 1: part of why we're like, okay, we're really going to
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  Speaker 1: go after this. We're going to grow it. We're even
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  Speaker 1: going to create our own manufacturing right here in the
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  Speaker 1: Hill Country, and we're going to make American flags in Texas.
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  Speaker 2: Way to go. Now that's it. And then how about,
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  Speaker 2: are you going to plan on going into the school
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  Speaker 2: systems to teach?
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, that's part of the whole thing. There's so many
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  Speaker 1: different angles. That we could take this whole program. And
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  Speaker 1: even what we learned from the social media aspect of
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  Speaker 1: it is the Civil War. And it's not just the
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  Speaker 1: stars and bars, right, that people see. But we've posted
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  Speaker 1: things about the Tennessee 2nd Infantry, a story about their flag.
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  Speaker 1: And we've gotten 100,000 hits on that kind of a story.
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  Speaker 1: that people are like, that was my grandfather or great-grandfather
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  Speaker 1: who did that. That is such a, you know, meaningful
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  Speaker 1: to them. And they're like, we would love to get
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  Speaker 1: that flag. But you can't get that flag. We're literally
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  Speaker 1: pulling the picture of that flag out of a history book.
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  Speaker 1: And so we're going to make those flags available to
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  Speaker 1: people that they can buy those flags, that they want
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  Speaker 1: to hang it up in their man cave or whatever,
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  Speaker 1: that they can have that flag. So we're not even
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  Speaker 1: just going to do the typical Texas flag, U.S. flag.
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  Speaker 1: We really want to create one-off flags like that. Because
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  Speaker 1: the catch is, for that infantry flag, there's only a
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  Speaker 1: couple of people who want it. Well, if you wanted
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  Speaker 1: to go make those, you've got to do 25, 50
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  Speaker 1: of them, 100 of them in order to do the volume.
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  Speaker 1: We're literally, I am going up to... get the equipment,
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  Speaker 1: pick it out in a couple of weeks up in
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  Speaker 1: Dallas that we need to start making these flags. And
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  Speaker 1: our goal is by the first of the year to
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  Speaker 1: be making flags, making them available one-off like that. And
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  Speaker 1: we'll be able to do flags for anything. If you
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  Speaker 1: wanted a flag with your logo on it to hang,
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  Speaker 1: we can make those kinds of flags. You don't have
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  Speaker 1: to order 25 of them. We can make just one
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  Speaker 1: of them for you.
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  Speaker 2: With the family crest.
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  Speaker 1: Yes, that kind of a thing. We can do that.
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  Speaker 3: Okay, so where do our listeners go to find out
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  Speaker 3: about your company and expect that debut?
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  Speaker 1: Flaghistoryproject.com is our website, flaghistoryproject.com, and you can follow us
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  Speaker 1: on social media. We are in the process of updating
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  Speaker 1: the webpage to reflect more of the history. We started
• 7:02
  Speaker 1: off trying to do subscriptions that would be a historical series.
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  Speaker 1: So you could buy a whole series every month and
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  Speaker 1: send you a new flag that you can hang, that
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  Speaker 1: you can fly a new flag. And with it, there
• 7:17
  Speaker 1: was a garden flag that comes with it. And that
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  Speaker 1: garden flag, you would stick maybe out by the sidewalk.
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  Speaker 1: You're flying the house on, excuse me, the flag on
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  Speaker 1: your house and you stick it out by the sidewalk
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  Speaker 1: or out in front of your business. People come by,
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  Speaker 1: they scan the QR code. It takes them to the
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  Speaker 1: website where they can listen to a little dialogue about it.
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  Speaker 1: We're going to have deep dives, videos, all of that.
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  Speaker 1: So we're in the process of creating that back-end content.
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  Speaker 1: And so that features the subscription series, which we haven't
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  Speaker 1: launched yet. We're going to be doing all of that
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  Speaker 1: along with if you just, you want that one flag,
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  Speaker 1: we'll go get you and make you that one flag.
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  Speaker 2: I just love that. There is rich history that people
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  Speaker 2: don't know and that QR code concept We've used that
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  Speaker 2: in our books. So if you read, go to the
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  Speaker 2: end of a chapter, you can hear the rest of
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  Speaker 2: the story, the Paul Harvey thing.
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  Speaker 1: Yes, love Paul Harvey.
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  Speaker 2: It's like, I'd like to know why Italy's flag is red-white.
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  Speaker 1: Is it? Yes.
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  Speaker 2: Yes, it is.
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  Speaker 1: Yes, it's the margherita pizza. It's the same color. We'd
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  Speaker 1: like to know why those were chosen.
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  Speaker 3: And one of our favorite musicals of all time, Ursula
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  Speaker 3: knows this, is Les Mis. And the dominant icon in
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  Speaker 3: the Les Mis banner or the poster is the French
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  Speaker 3: flag that's.
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  Speaker 2: Got a whole shot to the middle.
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  Speaker 3: So there are the Broadway media side is promoting your flag.
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  Speaker 4: Now, how many people want to fly French flags in Texas?
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  Speaker 4: But It's an important part. What inspired you and your
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  Speaker 4: wife to start this?
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  Speaker 1: Well, my first exposure to it was actually as a
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  Speaker 1: Boy Scout. I'm an Eagle Scout. Actually, my career was
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  Speaker 1: in the nonprofit sector. I was an executive with the
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  Speaker 1: Boy Scouts for 25 years and then had worked in
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  Speaker 1: other nonprofits since then. But I remember going as a Scout,
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  Speaker 1: so an 11-year-old kid going to summer camp. And every morning...
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  Speaker 1: raise the American flag, send Ohio, so the Ohio flag
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  Speaker 1: would go up, and next to it a historical flag.
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  Speaker 1: And one of the kids would come out and read
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  Speaker 1: about that flag. And so that was kind of my
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  Speaker 1: first exposure to all this history. And so 50 years later,
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  Speaker 1: some years later, we're still trying to use that as
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  Speaker 1: a way to teach history. It worked for me, and
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  Speaker 1: so this is an opportunity to do it to others.
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  Speaker 1: And you asked about kids in school.
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  Speaker 2: Absolutely.
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  Speaker 1: We could do the whole series, flags, and have them
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  Speaker 1: hanging in the classroom and the teacher changes it out.
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  Speaker 1: It could be hanging in the lobby or out in
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  Speaker 1: front of the school. And not just the students get it,
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  Speaker 1: but anybody coming by, anybody that's in the community, parents coming,
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  Speaker 1: visitors coming. can learn history through that. And we're creating, again, series,
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  Speaker 1: a U.S. history, a Texas history. And because of demand,
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  Speaker 1: we're looking at creating what we can for the Civil
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  Speaker 1: War one. But we've already identified some, you know, from
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  Speaker 1: the Civil War. Because when you start talking about units,
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  Speaker 1: we could do that. We could do that as well,
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  Speaker 1: even for Texas with the American Revolution as well. You
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  Speaker 1: can keep breaking it down into smaller pieces. That's great.
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  Speaker 1: And I think some of the fun of it, you know,
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  Speaker 1: we talked about the Gonzales flag, but so many of them,
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  Speaker 1: you know, the Bunker Hill flag. There's no record that
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  Speaker 1: actually flew at Bunker Hill about a Bunker Hill. You know,
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  Speaker 1: we've got the flag we call the Alamo flag. And
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  Speaker 1: it had nothing to do with the Alamo, but somehow
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  Speaker 1: it got its name that way, you know. So it's
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  Speaker 1: trying to find things like that. You mentioned the Betsy
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  Speaker 1: Ross flag. There's a lot of history now that says
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  Speaker 1: probably didn't do the first flag. exactly it's kind of
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  Speaker 1: the you know George Washington cherry tree story it sounds
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  Speaker 1: good and so there's a lot of controversy with that
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  Speaker 1: and so those are the kinds of things we're going
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  Speaker 1: to explore we're going to teach people a little bit
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  Speaker 1: and then they can do a deeper dive where they
• 11:32
  Speaker 1: can go in and go down the rabbit hole with
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  Speaker 1: podcast type of formats with videos a variety of different
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  Speaker 1: areas that people can get they're really into that flag
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  Speaker 1: that story we're going to create the content for them
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  Speaker 1: to do that and it's It's going to take some time.
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  Speaker 5: It is going to take time.
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  Speaker 3: If we were at your memorial service tomorrow, what flags
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  Speaker 3: would fly other than the Boy Scout?
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  Speaker 1: Definitely the U.S. flag. Proud Patriot, member of the Sons
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  Speaker 1: of the American Revolution. I'm literally just hearing from our
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  Speaker 1: meeting from that, so the bloodline goes way back. Probably
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  Speaker 1: that controversial Betsy Ross flag.
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  Speaker 2: It's a symbol of the beginning of the independence.
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  Speaker 1: That we've had and we'll see.
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  Speaker 2: Well, that's great.
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  Speaker 5: I think we're going to be able to get the
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  Speaker 5: Texas flag.
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  Speaker 2: Flags from a hundred different countries.
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  Speaker 1: Oh, wow.
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  Speaker 2: We're trying to teach our grandchildren all the flags of
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  Speaker 2: the world now.
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  Speaker 5: So we bought, we need to buy all those flags
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  Speaker 5: from Thank you.
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  Speaker 2: But they look like almost what you would pull up
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  Speaker 2: on a boat.
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  Speaker 1: They're all tied together in a line.
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  Speaker 6: But it's really, the whole concept really hits me here
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  Speaker 6: because we were taught that the American flag can never
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  Speaker 6: touch the ground.
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  Speaker 2: Right.
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  Speaker 5: And that we literally have to burn that flag in
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  Speaker 5: order to, if it touched the ground.
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  Speaker 4: Mm-hmm.
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  Speaker 2: That you revere them. So, Tom, in a second.
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  Speaker 1: Thank you. Thank you.
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  Speaker 2: Thank you.
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  Speaker 1: I think at any level, you just have to get excited.
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  Speaker 1: And that's what we're hoping that the story behind the
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  Speaker 1: flags will get them excited, the short two-minute version of
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  Speaker 1: the story behind it. And then they'll want to learn
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  Speaker 1: more about it. I mean, there's just so many people
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  Speaker 1: that don't know the little history of that flag. They
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  Speaker 1: just see it. Again, the canon, you know, those kinds
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  Speaker 1: of things. I tell that story because so many people
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  Speaker 1: I run into are like, I had no idea. I
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  Speaker 1: just thought it was a war flag. You know, it
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  Speaker 1: was a battle flag kind of thing. And why is
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  Speaker 1: that cannon on there? I mean, it's just a bow
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  Speaker 1: and arrow or a rifle or anything else kind of thing.
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  Speaker 1: And there's reason behind it. And I think that helps
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  Speaker 1: it get excited. And then you can get them to
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  Speaker 1: go deeper. And that's what we're trying to create is
• 14:34
  Speaker 1: that content. We're looking for other, you know, SMEs, subject
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  Speaker 1: matter experts to join in with us, to be able
• 14:42
  Speaker 1: to do these, to be those experts. outside experts. We're
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  Speaker 1: doing research on it. There's lots of people out there
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  Speaker 1: that already know all of this that we could turn
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  Speaker 1: around and bring them in as well and help us
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  Speaker 1: create all of these different kinds.
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  Speaker 2: How much you can do flags in our lifetime in
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  Speaker 2: the gift industry, garden flags. You just come into the
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  Speaker 2: We have consumers in the last.
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  Speaker 5: We've seen the multi-million dollar industry blossom. And all of
• 15:23
  Speaker 5: these licensed artists that we work with in the green
• 15:27
  Speaker 5: current industry are licensing their florals.
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  Speaker 2: So it's like.
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  Speaker 2: So this is because.
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  Speaker 6: Much more.
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  Speaker 2: And.
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  Speaker 1: With you. And with your art, I know you've got
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  Speaker 1: a lot of things.
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  Speaker 2: Want to make some money.
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  Speaker 1: It's really interesting. Yeah, it's about the educational side of
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  Speaker 1: it and getting everybody excited about our heritage the way
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  Speaker 1: that we're excited about, the way I am, the way
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  Speaker 1: you are, and the way my family is about being
• 15:59
  Speaker 1: able to do it. So the garden flag aspect of it,
• 16:03
  Speaker 1: part of it, we created the garden flag design that
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  Speaker 1: matches the big flag. with the QR code on it
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  Speaker 1: so that you could literally be walking down the sidewalk
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  Speaker 1: in your neighborhood and go, and then you'd be able
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  Speaker 1: to learn a little bit about that flag. The kids
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  Speaker 1: can learn a little bit about the flag standing right
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  Speaker 1: there on the side. Why are you flying this French
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  Speaker 1: flag outside your house? You know? And so many of
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  Speaker 1: the flags, the stories aren't known, or some of them
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  Speaker 1: have today different stories behind them. The Gonzales flag is
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  Speaker 1: used Don't tread on me. It's come back. But tell
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  Speaker 1: the story of what it is to begin with. Where
• 16:46
  Speaker 1: did it come from to begin with? And why that
• 16:50
  Speaker 1: story pertains to what it's about today. And why people
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  Speaker 1: use it again today. That battle for independence is a
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  Speaker 1: call that some others are using. It's still got the
• 17:03
  Speaker 1: same meaning, a deeper meaning, Not the political meaning, but
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  Speaker 1: the deeper meaning behind that flag. So if you're flying
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  Speaker 1: that flag, people may think, oh, he's being a rebel
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  Speaker 1: or whatever. No, here's the story behind that flag.
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  Speaker 2: Final question for you.
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  Speaker 3: We have been studying the word becoming.
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  Speaker 4: And I want you to picture yourself at 85, your
• 17:30
  Speaker 4: grandchildren have your name.
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  Speaker 2: And they come up and go, Grant, who did you become?
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  Speaker 1: How will you answer? I hope I've continued to evolve
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  Speaker 1: from what I started off as. I have a great
• 17:44
  Speaker 1: family background, had a great upbringing, a great family, mother
• 17:51
  Speaker 1: and father, a whole bunch of brothers and sisters, and
• 17:55
  Speaker 1: have what I learned even through scouting, through my education,
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  Speaker 1: things like that, those morals, those values, that I've passed
• 18:04
  Speaker 1: those on to them. And I hope I've just become
• 18:07
  Speaker 1: even better and stronger of being able to share those
• 18:11
  Speaker 1: values and live by those values that.
• 18:17
  Speaker 2: Live by values. Okay. We want to present you with a.
• 18:22
  Speaker 1: Book.
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  Speaker 2: Thank you.
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  Speaker 3: And I'm going to inscribe it like none other year
• 18:32
  Speaker 3: project slash enterprise. matters to me.
• 18:37
  Speaker 1: It just matters.
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  Speaker 2: How about that?
• 18:40
  Speaker 1: Yeah, I love it. I love it.
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  Speaker 2: It is truly significant. You're choosing to work on something
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  Speaker 2: that really, truly matters.
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  Speaker 1: Well, we're trying to do the education and bring manufacturing,
• 18:52
  Speaker 1: more manufacturing. You try to buy flags, you're getting them
• 18:55
  Speaker 1: from China.
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  Speaker 2: Oh, we don't.
• 18:56
  Speaker 1: And we don't believe that American flags should be made
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  Speaker 1: in China. We need to make them here, not just
• 19:01
  Speaker 1: in America, but here in Texas.
• 19:04
  Speaker 2: H-E-B should be behind you.
• 19:06
  Speaker 1: There we go. I like that.
• 19:08
  Speaker 2: It's not just about supporting.
• 19:14
  Speaker 1: And it's because of the, when you say made in America,
• 19:18
  Speaker 1: we're not talking about just sewing it. The material has
• 19:20
  Speaker 1: to come from, we've got to source the pieces for
• 19:23
  Speaker 1: it in order to make it. So that's part of
• 19:26
  Speaker 1: the challenge of putting this together and why a lot
• 19:29
  Speaker 1: of companies haven't. It's cheaper to go on Amazon and
• 19:32
  Speaker 1: buy a flag for 10 bucks than was made in China.
• 19:36
  Speaker 1: That's not what we're looking for. I love it.
• 19:38
  Speaker 2: Thanks, sir.
• 19:39
  Speaker 1: Thank you so much.
• 19:39
  Speaker 2: And you'll be back on next year, I understand.
• 19:41
  Speaker 1: Yes, I'll be back to tell you about the new
• 19:43
  Speaker 1: things we've got going when we get this baby launched.
• 20:09
  Speaker 1: We'll be right back.