Navy Corpsman Welcomed Home From Afghanistan

Navy Corpsman Bryan Lynn was welcomed home during a flag exchange event Monday at the Northampton Township building.

Peter Palestina, coordinator of the Northampton Patriots Flag Program, and the Northampton Township Board of Supervisors honored Lynn, who recently returned from deployment in Afghanistan.

The Northampton Patriots Flag Program began in 2003 to honor residents serving in Operation Iraqi Freedom. The program has since expanded to include Afghanistan and other hostile areas.

Each flag in the display represents the branch of service and identifies the resident with a yellow streamer. When the person returns home, his or her military flag is replaced with an American flag. 

According to Palestina, when the flag program first began, 24 Northampton residents were known to be serving in the military. The flag display now holds 79 flags; six of them armed services flags.

Typically the flag exchanges are held at the Board of Supervisors’ monthly meetings but since Lynn is only home for a few days, special arrangements were made.