Honoring the military

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Around 1,000 United States flags, one of them 80 feet by 60 feet, will wave Saturday in Bainbridge during a parade celebrating the military and RFD-TV’s “Best Of America By Horseback” taping a pair of Christmas-themed shows Saturday and Sunday at the Paxton Theatre.

The theatre shows will honor the military and veterans. The footage will be used for episodes of the award-winning “Best Of America By Horseback” television series and other programing during the upcoming holiday season.

The shows are open to the public and will start at 7 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $20 and are available online at PaxtonTheatre.org.

The parade takes place at 2 p.m. Saturday. Since it will honor the military and veterans, Larry “The Flagman” Eckhardt, who has supplied the flags that will line Main Street in Bainbridge, will be honored on the show.

Eckhardt, from Little York, Ill., has spent the last 13 years traveling a 14-state area with his flags, mostly to honor fallen members of the military.

“We’ll have right at 1,000 10-foot flags along Route 50 coming into Bainbridge and along the parade route,” said Tim Koehl, the owner of the Paxton Theatre who has organized the weekend’s activities.

What’s needed now, Koehl said, are volunteers to help put the flags up. Anyone interested should meet at Paint Valley Hardware & Supply, 570 E. Main St., Bainbridge, at 9 a.m. Saturday.

“Just show up. We could use a couple pickup trucks and we’ll need help both putting the flags up and taking them down,” Koehl said.

Eckhardt is also bringing an 80-foot by 60-foot flag that was recently donated to him. Koehl said it will be raised by two AEP bucket trucks just prior to the parade in a parking lot catty-cornered to the Paxton Theatre.

Tom Seay of “The Best Of America By Horseback” (BOABH) program will be taping the shows.

“The weekend will be a wonderful tribute to our military,” Koehl said in a news release. “If you are not familiar with the show, I invite you to view a past episode at http://www.bestofamericabyhorseback.com/watch-cleveland-metropark.html.

“Tom Seay is a great American who has spent the better part of his life giving back and celebrating our great country and those who protect and defend us. Co-producer Kristen Biscoe and the BOABH production team are putting together two great shows to entertain you, celebrate our military and veterans, and to recognize those who have made significant contributions to the freedoms we live every day.”

The BOABH production team arrived in the area Thursday and was riding and filming a TV episode in the Pike State Forest, Koehl said. They planned to visit the Chillicothe VA on Friday and conduct a rehearsal and interviews.

Following is the schedule for the weekend:

Saturday, Nov. 4

2 p.m. – Parade in Bainbridge honoring the military

3 p.m. – Carriage rides and activities under a big tent on Maple Street

5 p.m. – Reception by invitation at the Bainbridge Senior Center

6 p.m. – Doors open at the theatre

7 p.m. – Show starts at the theatre

Sunday, Nov. 5

Noon – Carriage rides and activities under the tent on Maple Street

1 p.m. – Doors open at the theatre

2 p.m. – Show starts at the theatre

Koehl said donations are being sought to sponsor veterans and special honorees at the shows, in the parade, and other activities. To make a donation to sponsor a veteran, go to paxtontheatre.org and press the donate tab at the top of the screen or send a check to: The Paxton Theatre Foundation, Sponsor a Vet, P.O. Box 654 Bainbridge, Ohio 45612.

Reach Jeff Gilliland at 937-402-2522 or [email protected].

Larry “The Flagman” Eckhardt is pictured with one of his displays similar to the one he will place along U.S. Route 50 heading into Bainbridge on Saturday.
http://www.timesgazette.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/33/2017/11/web1_Flagman-pic-to-use.jpgLarry “The Flagman” Eckhardt is pictured with one of his displays similar to the one he will place along U.S. Route 50 heading into Bainbridge on Saturday.
Special events this weekend in Bainbridge

By Jeff Gilliland

[email protected]

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