COLUMBUS, Ohio — In honor of Veteran’s Day this week, Ohio State is honoring active military and veterans during the Purdue game.
What You Need To Know
- ROTC cadets at Ohio State have been doing the flag detail for many years
- Flag detail is the process of taking the flag from its resting spot to its display position
- Over 40 cadets are needed to carry the 50-foot flag from the ROTC building to Ohio Stadium
- Cadets say it’s a great honor to be a part of the flag detail
It’s a long-standing tradition at each game for ROTC cadets to participate in the flag detail, the act of bringing the flag to the game and putting it on display at the Shoe.
But it isn’t as easy as it looks.
“I think maybe a lot of people don’t appreciate the level of effort that it takes,” said Capt. Beau Haertling, the education officer for the Air Force ROTC at OSU. “The flag is huge, we’ll put it that way.”
The flag is about 50 feet long and takes over 40 cadets to carry over to the stadium on game day.
One of those cadets this week is John Fleming.
“I’m about usually in the middle and once the flag gets pulled out of your hands you turn, face the flag pole and salute,” Fleming said.
Fleming is a senior and because of the rotating schedule, this is his last time helping to hoist the flag at Ohio Stadium.
“It is a little bit bittersweet,” he said. “I feel like the football season just started. I did the very first one, the Oregon game, which, unfortunately, was my first loss as a student. We joke we’ve been very spoiled as Ohio State fans to not have seen a home loss until our senior year.”
But in preparation for his last time carrying the large flag, Fleming said it’s something he’ll never take for granted.
“It’s exhilarating just when you stop and think. Well, you don’t stop, but when you think about the 100,000 people in the stadium watching you,” he said.
Haertling said it’s a huge honor for these cadets.
“The symbolism of the flag detail itself is something special to ROTC that they get to participate in for the university,” Haertling said.
And for Fleming, he knows he’ll make the last time count.
