Montana carpenter donates hand-carved American flags to law enforcement officials
The flags come in all different sizes ranging from 2’x3’ up to 5’x8’ and take about 40 hours to make
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A custom-furniture carpenter based in Montana has found a unique way to give back to his community, show his patriotism and help honor service members, law enforcement officers and frontline hospital workers.
After a day’s work crafting and carving individualized wood pieces, Bear Thomas of Whitedog Woodshop uses his scrap wood to create magnificent American flags and donate them, free of charge, to community members.
"I started making flags and delivering to veterans of military, police and firefighters in Montana two years ago," Bear told Fox News.
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Bear said he witnessed the anti-police protests happening at the time and wanted to let these law enforcement officials know that he had their back.
"I started at the beginning of 2020 when the police and military were under attack. I wanted to let them know there are still good people out there who support them," he continued.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Bear Thomas of Whitedog Woodshop, in Montana, uses scrap wood to craft American flags. November 11, 2021. (Bear Thomas)
And, he’s still going.
The flags, which come in all different sizes ranging from 2’x3’ up to 5’x8,’ take about 40 hours to make — and he’s delivered 30 of them from his workshop located on Whippoorwill Drive in Missoula.
But Bear doesn’t charge a cent for the American flags — while people are welcome to purchase his custom dining room tables, chairs, bar tops and cabinets — as he says the time he takes to craft the flags reminds him of the sacrifices service members make for this country.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}These hand-carved American flags are donated to local law enforcement by Bear Thomas of Whitedog Woodshop, in Montana. November 11, 2021. (Bear Thomas)
"I donate all my flags to whoever contacts me. My main focus was military but ventured off to the other frontline agencies over the past year," Bear explained.
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The reception has been tremendous as he has received hundreds of positive calls and emails.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}One of Bear Thomas' hand-crafted American flags. (Bear Thomas)
"I can’t believe how many people this has touched. I’ve had well over 600 emails with nothing but kind words of support, and I haven’t even gotten to all as they keep coming in," he said.
Bear added: "I’ve been trying to respond to everyone personally. I was never expecting this, and I almost didn’t do the interview because I’m typically a pretty private person. But I’m glad I did now."