9/11 flag returns home after a decade
By Associated Press, adapted by Newsela staff on 09.12.16
Word Count 642
Level 840L
Visitors view the display for the American flag (left) that firefighters hoisted at ground zero in the hours after the 9/11 terror attacks,
September. 8, 2016, at the National September 11 Museum in New York City. AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews
NEW YORK, N.Y. — Fifteen years ago, on September 11, 2001, the United States faced a horrible
attack. Terrorists took control of four planes that day. Two planes crashed into the World Trade
Center buildings in New York City. A third plane crashed into the Pentagon government building
in Washington, D.C. A fourth plane crashed in a field in Pennsylvania.
The planes that crashed into the World Trade Center killed the most people. The planes took down
two of the tallest buildings in the middle of crowded Manhattan. In an emotional moment,
firefighters raised an American flag above the destruction.
Now, after disappearing for more than a decade, the flag has come back.
Symbolic And Strange Journey
The small flag had a meaningful and strange journey. First, the flag was on a large boat docked in
the city. Next, it was taken to the site of the attack. Later, it showed up at a firehouse about 2,400
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miles away in Everett, Washington. Today, it is back in New York, in a glass case at the National
September 11 Museum.
A TV show, a mysterious man and two years of detective work helped recover it.
The flag is "one of the most emotionally and historically powerful" artifacts, said Joe Daniels. He is
the president of the museum.
The flag's absence, he said, "just felt like a hole in the history of this site."
Award-Winning Photograph Inspires A Postage Stamp
The flag helped create one of the most powerful images of American strength on 9/11. After
grabbing the flag from a nearby boat, three firefighters raised it up. It stood brightly against the
gray ash and destruction. Thomas E. Franklin of The Record of Hackensack, New Jersey
newspaper, took the photograph. The picture has won awards and inspired a postage stamp.
The flag soon became famous. It was signed by New York's governor and two mayors. It was flown
at Yankee Stadium. It stood outside of New York City's City Hall and on an aircraft carrier near
Afghanistan. At least, people thought it did. The truth was, the real flag had disappeared. By 2004,
the yacht's owners admitted the real flag was lost.
Officials had no idea what had happened to it.
TV Show Provides Clue About Flag
Then, in November 2014, a man turned up at an Everett fire station. He had what is now the
museum's flag. The man said he had just seen a TV show about the missing flag, according to the
Everett police.
The man told the firefighters his name was Brian. He said he got the flag as a gift. He said it was
from a government worker who had gotten it from a woman who lost her husband during the
attack.
The detectives found video of "Brian" and sent around a sketch to try to find him. So far, they
haven't found the man. They have also not been able to confirm his explanation of where he got
the flag. Scientists tested the material on electrical tape wrapped around the flag's rope. It did not
match the firefighters or other people known to have touched the flag.
Ground Zero Dust
One expert looked at the dust on the flag and rope and found it was the same as the dust at ground
zero. Meanwhile, the detectives looked through photos and videos of the flag-raising and consulted
one of the yacht's former crew members to compare the flag's size, material, stitching, metal and
rope.
Taking all the evidence together, "we feel it's very likely the one captured in the photo," said one of
the Everett police officers who investigated the flag's reappearance.
The yacht's owners, Shirley Dreifus and the late Spiros E. Kopelakis, were surprised when first told
the flag might have resurfaced. Kopelakis even wondered whether the call was a prank, Dreifus
said.
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Quiz
1
Select the paragraph from the section "Symbolic And Strange Journey" that provides some information about how the missing
American flag was found.
2
Which sentence from the article BEST supports the idea that it was very important that the missing flag be found?
3
4
(A)
Now, after disappearing for more than a decade, the flag has come back.
(B)
It was signed by New York's governor and two mayors.
(C)
The flag is the center of one of the most powerful images of American strength on 9/11.
(D)
The picture has won awards and inspired a postage stamp.
Which BEST describes the connection between a TV show and the missing flag?
(A)
A TV show discussed the tests that were done on a flag to show it was the missing flag.
(B)
A TV show provided clues about who took the missing flag from New York City.
(C)
The man who had the missing flag learned it was missing by watching a TV show.
(D)
A sketch of the man who detectives thought took the missing flag was shown on TV.
According to the article, how did experts decide that Brian's flag was the missing flag?
(A)
They took a video of Brian with the flag.
(B)
They tested the material on the the tape wrapped around the flag's rope.
(C)
They matched the dust on the flag with the dust at the place where the flag was raised by firefighters.
(D)
They asked the owners of a yacht where the flag first flew to identify the flag.
This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com.
Answer Key
1
Select the paragraph from the section "Symbolic And Strange Journey" that provides some information about how the missing
American flag was found.
Paragraph 4:
A TV show, a mysterious man and two years of detective work helped recover it.
2
3
4
Which sentence from the article BEST supports the idea that it was very important that the missing flag be found?
(A)
Now, after disappearing for more than a decade, the flag has come back.
(B)
It was signed by New York's governor and two mayors.
(C)
The flag is the center of one of the most powerful images of American strength on 9/11.
(D)
The picture has won awards and inspired a postage stamp.
Which BEST describes the connection between a TV show and the missing flag?
(A)
A TV show discussed the tests that were done on a flag to show it was the missing flag.
(B)
A TV show provided clues about who took the missing flag from New York City.
(C)
The man who had the missing flag learned it was missing by watching a TV show.
(D)
A sketch of the man who detectives thought took the missing flag was shown on TV.
According to the article, how did experts decide that Brian's flag was the missing flag?
(A)
They took a video of Brian with the flag.
(B)
They tested the material on the the tape wrapped around the flag's rope.
(C)
They matched the dust on the flag with the dust at the place where the flag was raised by
firefighters.
(D)
They asked the owners of a yacht where the flag first flew to identify the flag.
This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com.