EASTLAKE, Ohio–Every morning, Susan Sheets is greeted by stars and stripes.
“It makes you feel kind of patriotic just looking up there, you can’t help it,” she said. “And when you hear them flapping in the breeze, it’s a good feeling.”
Sheets lives across the street from Eastlake’s Boulevard of 500 flags, a memorial that pays tribute to the men and women of the U.S. military. The park has pieces of steel from the World Trade Center, grass from the Pentagon and grass from the site of the plane crash in Shankesville, Pa.
“My dad was in the service, my husband’s brother was in the service,” she said. “It’s just a reminder for everybody that we live in a free country, and I’m darn well glad I live here.”
Around her neighborhood, a sense of American pride is spreading–a trend that surprised retailers like Don Workman this year.
“Sales have gone up a bit this year,” said Workman, owner of Ameriflag in Cleveland. “The 10th anniversary of September 11th helps with sales a little bit, but the economy’s a little bit better, and people have a little bit more money to spend.”
According to the Flag Manufacturers Association of America, flag sales have dropped since 2001, but still remain stronger than what they were before the terror attacks. Flag sales make up to $200 million each year.
“There’s a bit of a patriotic movement,” Workman said. “We’ve got elections coming up next year.”
Some companies report a 10 to 20 percent increase in flag sales this year, something postal carrier Mark Smith said is noticable on his route.
“It just shows that people do care about their country and do care about the people that gave their lives,” he said. “This is for our American heroes.”