In downtown Wilmington, as my third weekly road trip continues south on Delaware Route 9 toward Dover, I see scaffolding and a row of painted American flags. Since I'm still asking for your flag photos, it gives me an excuse to shoot some of my own.
Artist Max Mason of Wynnewood is painting a "flag-centered tribute to the fallen firefighters of September 11," on the side of Fire Station #1 at West & 2nd Streets, within sight of the Amtrak station. When complete, it will show a procession of firefighters through time. Included will be historic Wilmington fire-stations and apparatus through the years.
The mural's most prominent building, "Liberty S.F.E." is no longer around, and we both ponder the initials, coming up with many guesses, all of them wrong. It is the international airport code for San Fernando, in the Philippines, but on this building I learn later, S.F.E. stands for "Steam Fire Engine."
The mural is a community project as well, and we both look up as, "Hi Max," is shouted from a passing car. "Save the face for me," the driver yells. "That's Patrika," Mason tells me. "She lost a friend in 911," and wants to paint him as one of the firefighters. All their helmets will include "343" for the number of Fire Department of New York firefighters who died on September 11, 2001.
And here's a final reminder that time is running out send me YOUR American flags. Email a favorite roadside flag photo as a jpeg attachment to Roadtrip@phillynews.com. I will be posting them on Wednesday.
