Jon Lybarger, left, and Monica Clennon teaching fourth grade students at Mentone Elementary the proper way to fold an American flag.

MENTONE — Members of the American Legion Post 36 in Fulton County recently taught Mentone Elementary fourth graders a lesson in American flag history and proper care.

On Wednesday, Monica Clennon, Harry Migonis, and Jon Lybarger presented two videos to students, and then demonstrated to them the correct way to fold an American flag. The lesson was part of a statewide program sponsored by the American Legion.

The videos that were shown are specifically geared towards students ages 9 and 10. They feature certain keywords such as allegiance, liberty, sacrifice, and republic.

“It explains to the kids who sometimes don’t know what those words mean and what it means to be a patriotic American citizen. Folding the flag and representing our country is more than just what’s going on in government,” said Clennon, who served 22 years in the U.S. Navy.

Students leave the program with an activity comic book they complete at school. Each book has 20 questions and an essay to gauge how well they understood the presentation.

One boy and one girl from each school will be chosen for a $50 prize depending on how well they write an essay on what the flag means to them, and if they answer each of the 20 questions correctly.

The three veterans also took time to answer questions from the students about their experiences. Migonis served in Vietnam and was injured when the truck he was driving hit a landmine. Lybarger served three years active duty in the U.S. Army, then three years in the U.S. Army Reserve.

“That’s why we do this. It’s for the kids. You have to start with the kids,” said Migonis.

“Having served before, it’s truly important. We have, by far, the greatest country on Earth. I just hope these kids recognize that,” said Clennon.