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Living Flag Is A Hit Wherever It Goes
Norma Clavadatscher and the six other members of her Sauk City, Wisconsin parade unit don't just salute the American flag. They are the flag.
Three of the women dress in satin robes with both stars and bars while the other four members dress exclusively in red and white bars. All members are about the same heig
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Living Flag Is A Hit Wherever It Goes FARM HOME Clothes 24-5-44 Norma Clavadatscher and the six other members of her Sauk City, Wisconsin parade unit don't just salute the American flag. They are the flag.
Three of the women dress in satin robes with both stars and bars while the other four members dress exclusively in red and white bars. All members are about the same height to ensure that everything lines up when the group marches in area parades.
"This year we marched in five parades," says Clavadatscher, a 47 year veteran of the Living Flag. "Wherever we wear it, people salute us, and veterans take off their hats. We always get lumps in our throats and tears in our eyes."
What started out as a skit for a county Extension Homemakers meeting in 1953 turned into a nearly 50-year enterprise that has involved two generations of marchers. Clavadatscher (73) is the only remaining member of the original unit from 1953, although she plans to hand over her robe soon to a younger marcher. She has two daughters, Vicki Meyer and JoAnn Ballweg, who joined the group as older members left.
The early Living Flag had eight flag members and a number of women in a chorus. By the mid 1960's, the chorus had disbanded, and then the flag did, too. It wasn't until 1978 that the idea of reorganizing was raised. The gowns had been stored and were hung out to air. New stars were added and the flag size reduced to seven marchers. A new chorus was also formed.
In 1981 Charles Kuralt gave them national exposure on television. The results of his interest live on with clips of the original show being broadcast as recently as this spring.
Today the chorus has again been cut back, but the flag continues to march in the local area. Clavadatscher still gets calls from people around the country wanting to duplicate the flag.
"All I tell them is the pattern is a choir gown," she says. "We don't have a patent on the design."
Contact: FARM SHOW Follow-up, Norma Clavadatscher, S 9895 Highway E., Sauk City, Wis. 53583 (ph 608-544-5345).
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