Photos by Mary Alice Murphy

On Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024, the Silver City Jacob Bennett Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution presented a flag that had flown over the Washington D.C. DAR headquarters . 

The flag pole for La Capilla was donated by First New Mexico Bank. 

Lorraine Anglin sang The Star-Spangled Banner to open the ceremony. 

Brenda Dozier, flag chair for the chapter. read a message as she presented the flag to Silver City Mayor Ken Ladner.

 "On behalf of the town of Silver City, I accept this flag on a beautiful morning up here overlooking the town," Ladner said. "We appreciate the chapter, you Brenda, and Lucy Whitmarsh, Chair of the local chapter. for this flag. Lucy was once in charge of the MainStreet Project and with her leadership, she never gave up on the Silco Theater project, which is now well used. Jose Ray was one of the town councils, and is here today because his mother and his father are the ones who got the La Capilla renovation project started and completed."

Ray led the Pledge of Allegiance and said: "We are thankful for everything God has given us."

Whitmarsh said the DAR has been active in the U.S. for more than 120 years, and cumulatively has had more than a million members, with more than 190,00 active today. 

Ladner received a plaque accompanying the flag that he said he would present at the next City Council meeting.

Ray said that a locking mechanism had been added to the pole to prevent more theft of the flags that have flown over the area. "We are trying to get it listed as a park, and we have an anonymous donor who has put up $50,000 for more improvements at La Capilla."

Three members of the Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 358 raised the flag, including Ray and Cipriano Ogas and another unnamed veteran.

Whitmarsh gave the benediction. 

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