Walstrum says these women think of themselves as 21st-century Betsy Rosses. There are also hand-stitched flags for the vice president and each branch of the military. And they don't only make presidential flags here. Then they weave it into a long braid before they stitch it into the flag. SHAPIRO: The artists wind the thread on an old spindle made of wrought iron and wood. It has a vibrance and a life to it that you don't get with the machine technology. And this is a product that is incredibly stunning when seen in person. WALSTRUM: This is something that has been done this way for over 170 years here in Philadelphia. SHAPIRO: Adam Walstrum is the flag room supervisor. People wait years for a position to open up when someone retires.ĪDAM WALSTRUM: This is the only team in the world that makes the presidential flags that go to the White House. And it is extremely competitive to land a job here. To complete an entire flag can take six months. SHAPIRO: One and a half days for that one feather. How long does it take you to sew the one feather? SHAPIRO: Dung Lam is working on an eagle's tail feather, stitching tiny diagonal lines of white and gray thread. Their workshop is in a low building on a military base with jet planes parked at the entrance. There are 13 people doing this intricate work at the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support flag room - almost all women and most of them immigrants. from Cambodia 30 years ago, she didn't speak any English. It's the world.ĬHHIM: It's made me so proud to be here, to work for the - especially make president flag. Somewhere on that flag is a name, the name of the person who spent months hand-embroidering that work of art here in a room in northeast Philadelphia. You know, an eagle clutches an olive branch in one claw and arrows in the other. Next time you watch the president give a speech on TV, look carefully at the flag behind him, the one with the presidential seal.
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