This miniature United States Marine Corps flag traveled by vehicle over 4,000 miles from New Jersey to Alaska with Gold Star Parents Mona and Ford Shaw, they were on a mission.

Their mission, travel to Alaska and climb Gold Star Peak and honor their fallen son, U.S. Marine Corps Captain Stanford H. “Ford” Shaw III. They successfully completed their mission planting the flag on the summit where it has proudly flown since 21 July, 2019.

This flag has been knocked off the summit by the relentless gusting winds, buried in Alaska’s harsh winters snow and ice, while only slightly fading in the two Alaska summers it has been on the summit.

Every visit to the summit, I pick it up and put it back in position while pausing to think and share the story with others of the journey it made getting there. For the small group of us that climbed with them, it was a special day and memory, one we will never forget.

Last week when I reached the summit, this flag was once again proudly blowing in the wind not far from where it had been placed by the Shaws. The tiny flag pole is slightly bent from the gusting winds and the fabric is slowly coming apart from snapping back and forth in the wind. I decided to give it a break for a bit and bring it home to capture it’s beauty after all it’s been through since it was placed there more than 440 days ago.

For me, this picture captures so much about this flag. It’s strength, resiliency, history, as well as that of the Shaw’s own determination in not only driving cross country, but also climbing the mountain to honor their fallen son. We’re all so proud to know them and to have spent time with them that day climbing and raising a toast to their son on the summit.

I will bring it back to the summit soon for all that visit to once again see, this flag.

Say his name: Captain Stanford H. “Ford” Shaw III.