Fourth of July Hall of Fame: Operation Y-Flag

We each have epic Fourth of July memories. I have two favorites. I've already shared Ryan’s 2010 surprise second proposal. The other hall of fame Fourth of July was called:

Operation: Y-Flag

Looking at Y mount countless times during my student years at BYU, I had the crazy of idea of gathering hundreds of people and making a human American flag on the Fourth of July. I shared this scheme with a go-getter buddy named Brian. Thanks to him, my awesome Lookout Lady roommates, a supportive team and the 120+ people we recruited, we actually pulled it off.

Quite the event planner, Brian made a web site (which still exists! check out this sweet little baby), figured out the mathematical proportions, contacted many student wards and asked them to make the hike a ward activity. He bought the 3,000 feet of plastic red table cloth since we had a lot of ground to cover and weren’t sure how many people would show up.Team Y-Flag left nothing to chance. We went door-to-door personally inviting BYU students to come. We had Y-Flag captains, team leaders, and volunteer drivers for a shuttle van system.(I gotta smile and shake my head at the memories – nothing could get in our way!)  

Here’s a piece straight from my 2009 journal:

Em's celebrating the 4th in the Motherland this year!

Wow, today set a new record for my favorite 4^th of July.

We’d all gathered into our red/blue spots with the spectacular view before us. I thought I was going to burst with happiness when someone started singing “The Star Spangled Banner” and everyone joined in. No video could have captured how proud we felt – of ourselves, and of our country. That was a feel alive moment.

My family came, which really meant a lot to me. Sue, Emily, Erika, her boyfriend (who’s now my bro-in-law!) and John, and cousins Monica and Brian hiked it. Dad took pictures from below with his professional camera. People mixed and mingled and like my friend said, “they were just happy to be there.” As we watched the fireworks go off from our vantage point, I felt on top of the world…at least the Provo world.

God Bless America!


Were you there for this epic day? Let's hear your memories.

Love my family! Thanks for the support - then and now.

Check out that view! And we watched fireworks from up there...SO COOL.

Ironically at a blue/white school, we didn't have as many people in blue as we thought we would. 

Gotta love Jon Terry. 

These little lovebirds were oogley eyed all day - they got engaged pretty soon after this.

I heart the Mace family. Had the privilege of living with two of their daughters. Loves to Maria and Suzanne.

P.S. Earlier that day, we’d had a Webb family reunion, including the Riverton carnival. My dad paid for us kids to go on our first helicopter ride. “We soared above the carnival grounds and short across neighborhoods, parks and roads to see the new Draper temple from the sky. On the way there we saw the place where my grandparents built the house they lived in for 40+ years.”