Palmerton community members and veterans turned out Sunday morning for a flag dedication in honor of Sgt. Maj. of the U.S. Army Daniel Dailey.

A Palmerton native, Dailey became the 15th sergeant major of the Army in January 2015.A 20-foot-by-38-foot American flag, brought home from Iraq by Dailey, was raised up a recently installed flagpole at the entrance to Palmerton off Route 248.The Palmerton United Veterans Organization, who put together Sunday’s event, also unveiled a plaque commemorating the site in Dailey’s honor.“I’m honored and humbled, but this isn’t about me,” Dailey said. “It’s a validation that American people, regardless of who you are or where you’re from or what you believe in, can get somewhere when you work hard. Every time it flies it represents more than me, it represents the billions of men and women before me who made this possible.”Later in the day, Dailey will serve as the grand marshal for the Veterans Day Parade in Palmerton, a hometown that holds a special place in his heart.“I’ve been to thousands of cities and hundreds of countries and though I’ve tried, there is no place you can get a piece of pizza that tastes like Tony’s,” he said. “There are no Spillane’s hot dogs in Iraq. You can’t go to a hardware store where a guy named Bernie knows you by your first name and what size gasket your sink needs.”George Duell Jr, of the Palmerton UVO, said the group met and realized “without question, we needed to do this to recognize Sgt. Maj. Dailey’s contributions and service.”For more on the ceremony, check back to

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