Sept. 16, 2001 – Determined to fly the American flag from their home in Mandahl this weekend but "unable to find one for sale," Jackson and Tracy Roberts used a little Yankee know-how to make their own.
Tracy downloaded the necessary flag image from the Internet and, using her architectural skills, expanded the outlines to 60 by 31 feet to fit properly on their rooftop. Meanwhile, Jackson, who flies DC-10s for Northwest Airlines for a living, bought "custom-mixed" roof-coating in the traditional colors.
Friends and neighbors, all fellow patriots living in the U.S. Virgin Islands, pitched in to complete the "flag raising" by mid-afternoon, with time left for a barbecue.
"The real reason we did it," said Jackson, "is because our hearts go out to the terrorist attack victims and the people who are working to save them. Since we couldn't be there to help, we did this to show our support."
