At 313 feet, the American flag now waves above the Utah State Capitol — a feat that two members of the construction company renovating the building accomplished out of love for the country they served during the Vietnam War.

"I like to put a flag on all construction jobs," said David Marshall, general superintendent of Jacobsen-Hunt. "The flag represents what our country represents."

A helicopter carried a 1,000-pound flagpole from the west side of the Capitol to the top of the tower crane Saturday, allowing Marshall and Paul Vandeveegaete, foreman of Jacobsen-Hunt, to unfold the flag and fasten it to the pole.

The two men waited at the top of the crane while the helicopter airlifted the flagpole into the lifting eye of the tower crane, where it was welded, before completing the project they spearheaded.

"It's great to be a part of this," said David Hart, executive director for the Utah State Capitol Preservation Board. "And (the flag) is at a point where it can be seen by everybody."

Marshall said he and Vandeveegaete felt the project was "worth it" because the flag is symbolic of all Americans fighting in wars.

"We take our hats off to David and Paul and their commitment to make this happen," Hart said.

Before renovations, an American flag stood on top of the west side of the Capitol building, opposite the Utah State flag. Now, with a flagpole welded into the tower crane's lifting eye, the flag will remain untouched throughout the duration of the Capitol's renovations.

"The crane should be one of the last things to come down, somewhere around 2007," Hart said.

The flag is 12 feet by 18 feet and will remain in the air during all seasons, only replaced when it becomes worn from inclement weather. The flag is also lighted so that pilots can see the flag when arriving at night at the Salt Lake International Airport.

The flagpole welded into the tower crane is the same one that used to stand at the foot of the front stairs leading to the Capitol.

Hart said they re-engineered the pole, cutting approximately 10 feet from the original.

---

E-mail: Liorg@desnews.com