Held aloft between fire engines from the Lacey Fire District and Olympia Fire Department, a 50 x 75-foot American flag billowed in the breeze Tuesday afternoon during a Flag Day Celebration held adjacent to Applebees restaurant in Lacey's South Sound Shopping Center.

Sponsored by Thurston County Realtors and the Veterans Council of Thurston County, the annual event has been held for more than 40 years, rain or shine, as a celebration to honor veterans, said Mark Kitabayashi, a past president of Thurston County Realtors. 
Members of Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 318 were on hand to provide a 21-gun salute and Thurston County Realtor President Kathy Cross delivered the day's remarks. About 50 members of the community, including law enforcement from Lacey, Tumwater and Olympia, State Representative Sam Hunt (D-District 22), Thurston County Manager Donald Krupp, Deputy Mayor of Lacey Virgil Clarkson and others were on hand for the event.