HOBBS, N.M. — Old Glory: the ultimate symbol of freedom.
The Stars and Stripes, kept in great condition by folks like Richard Duran, a veteran who works hard to keep the American flag looking pristine.
"When it gets torn up or anything, I replace it." Duran said. "If it calls for being at half-mast, I come over and I put it at half-mast. I take care of the flag."
Duran served our country after joining the Marine Corps in 1966, making a sacrifice for four years, including a tour in Vietnam.
Now, almost 60 years later, Duran makes sure the American flag at the Hobbs VA Community Based Outpatient Clinic is always ready to fly.
When the flagpole didn’t have a light dedicated to it, Duran and his grandson would bring the flag down at night and raise the flag back up by morning every day; an ode to his fallen brothers and sisters.
"It's a way for me to honor a lot of friends that were lost in Vietnam back from my hometown and friends that I made over there," Duran said. "Every time I replace the flag, I have them in my mind and my memory and it keeps them in my heart."
Caring for the flag has also created a closer relationship with his grandson.
"We didn't used to talk that often," Duran said. "He was my grandson, but since we started doing the flag, we built a little bit better bond where we communicate with each other. And actually, he calls me to see if there's anything that we need to do over here."
In January 2023, the clinic wanted to do their part for one of their favorite veterans after he dedicates his time, taking care of their landmark.
"He is a very caring veteran," said Anita Eaves, one of the nurses at the VA. "[He's] polite, he comes to the clinic and he makes sure everything is taken care of and just a good guy."
Flagpoles can be honored for a veteran, and this one certainly had a worthy candidate.
"The nurses, Sandra and Deb and Anita, worked on getting this flag in my honor," Duran said. "They called me in to come in with a friend. And caught me by surprise when they finally brought me out: all my family was standing around the flagpole from Oklahoma, El Paso, San Antonio had come down to see the flagpole honored in my name."
Here in Hobbs, Duran’s dedication to the red, white and blue has been the ultimate act of service to the symbol of America.
And he doesn't plan on stopping that service anytime soon.