LIBERTY – Liberty Middle School’s fifth graders held a flag ceremony on Dec. 16 to show off the new City of Liberty flag. The flag now flies each day along with the American flag and the State flag.

Mayor Brian Deese presented the flag to the students of LMS and talked with them about what this flag means to the city of Liberty.

“It means pride,” Deese said. “Be proud of our flag. Wherever you go, flags have meaning.”

Deese explained to the students how the flag came about. He said they took the original Moultrie flag and rearranged it. They moved Liberty out of the crescent to the bottom of the flag. He then explained the history of the Moultrie flag to the students.

“We took this idea and adopted it,” Deese said. “I am proud to say Liberty now has a flag that we all can be proud of. If you are ever anywhere and see a Liberty flag, you can say proudly ‘That’s where I’m from.’”

Pickens County School District Dr. Henry Hunt attended the flag ceremony. He was presented a flag for the school district to use.

“I am proud of this flag,” he said. “You as students, you are all citizens at LMS and you all get to contribute by helping out and looking out for each other. You’re our hope for the future. Thank you all for the flag. We will use it and use it proudly.”

Liberty’s Coach Robert Davis was awarded an American flag that LMS has used during the ceremony that was given to the school by Representative Gresham Barrett for over 30 years of service in the military.

“I will tell you one thing about this flag,” Davis said. “I’ve watched people die for this flag. While in Iraq, I saw a young marine who had a wife and baby at home be killed. This is what this flag is about. You never forget it. The United States is the land of the free because it’s the home of the brave.”

Cub Scout Pack 227 of Liberty First United Methodist Church members Randy Clem, Samuel Cook, Steven Grant, Matt Robinson, Josh Shuman and Wesley Tolleson raised all three flags during the ceremony. Fifth grader, Logan Rich wrote and led the Pledge to the flag of the City of Liberty for the closing of the ceremony.