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41 °F Forecast | Road Cams Wednesday, November 17, 2004 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Menu Guide How To Guide Wellness Connection Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Passport to the Rogue Valley EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People MARKETPLACE Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Classifieds Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend July 4, 2004 Eleven flags, most of them replicas, fly in front of Richard Corbin�s home at 4090 Colver Road in Phoenix for the Fourth of July weekend. Signs on the poles explain each flag�s history. Mail Tribune / Jim Craven A banner day in Phoenix ichard Corbin wants to let people know that there’s more to the Fourth of July than barbecued chicken and fireworks. So Corbin proudly displays 11 U.S. flags in front of his home on Colver Road in Phoenix. "People put stuff out for Christmas and Halloween, so why not the Fourth?" he asked. Most of the flags are replicas from the Revolutionary War era, he said. Some spent time as a national flag and some were just regimental flags or commemorative. "Each flag has a history of its own," Corbin said. Two large flags watch over the nine smaller replica flags. These hold personal significance for Corbin. Advertisement The large 48-star flag covered the casket of his grandfather, who fought in the Spanish-American War, and the other covered the casket of his father, a World War II Navy veteran. Corbin’s wife, Luana, made signs to display under the flags that tell their names and the historical context in which they flew. The flag nearest Corbin’s driveway is a replica of one that flew on the sinking USS Bonhomme Richard in 1779. When the British captain asked the American captain John Paul Jones if he was ready to surrender, Jones replied, "I have not yet begun to fight." He then overtook the British ship, Serapis, and raised the flag, which is now called Serapis. Also flying over Corbin’s yard are replicas of the Sons of Liberty, the Grand Union, the Bennington, Betsy Ross’ flag, the Star Spangled Banner, the Great Star, the Oregon Statehood flag and the Fort Sumter flag. This is the second year that Corbin has displayed his flags; he will keep them out until Monday. Next year, he said he hopes to buy more. "It’s a kind of fun thing," he said. Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2004 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities