A “patriotic convoy” gathered at Denali National Park in Alaska this weekend after reports surfaced that construction crews in the area were instructed not to display the American flag. The convoy, consisting of dozens of cars and trucks adorned with American flags, departed from Fairbanks on Sunday and rallied at the park’s entrance to protest the alleged flag ban.
The Alaska Watchman claimed that Denali National Park Superintendent Brooke Merrell had told crews working on a 475-foot-long bridge project to cease flying flags due to complaints. The story rapidly gained attention. “It is absurd and defies all logic that a federal contractor, working on a project funded by American taxpayers, in a National Park — the week before Memorial Day — is prohibited from flying the American flag,” said U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan.
The National Park Service (NPS) has claimed the reports of a flag ban were “false.”
“At no time did an NPS official seek to ban the American flag from the project site or associated vehicles,” NPS spokesman Peter Christian said. He also claims the NPS is not administering the bridge project and lacks “the authority to enforce terms or policies related to the contract or contractors performing the work.”
The convoy from Fairbanks is on its way to @DenaliNPS to say hello with some patriotic flags. A beautiful day for a drive in Alaska. Honk if you love America! pic.twitter.com/NCKqaXMjYU
— Must Read Alaska (@MustReadAlaska) May 26, 2024
HALF-TRUTHS.
The Alaska Watchman stands by its reporting, describing the NPS response as disingenuous and out of line with workers’ experience of the situation on the ground. They say their source has “reiterated that [a] Federal Highway Administration official told the Granite Construction project manager that Park Superintendent Merrell wanted the flags removed from all construction trucks that were driving through the park, whenever they were outside of the confined construction area.”
Another contractor involved in the project also attributed the incident to Merrell’s leadership, noting she is the first female superintendent in the park’s 105-year history. “When these liberals get in charge of these parks, that’s how it is,” the contractor told the Alaska Watchman.
Keith Fons, who organized the patriotic convoy, expressed frustration that the NPS did not address the issue earlier. “They could have nipped this in the bud right from the get-go. But they decided to be quiet until they realized, ‘Oh no, these people are actually organized,'” he argued.
