JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — In this week's stories of service, we're recognizing Steve Thompson. He's the owner of Sand Dollar Cleaners in Arlington.
First Coast News Anchor Anthony Austin has been taking his suits to him for years. He does an excellent job and is such a nice guy. He told Austin for 25 years he's been cleaning and pressing the American flag free of charge for the families of soldiers who have died. The flags are draped over a veteran's casket and later given to their family.
Austin asked him why he does it.
"Basically, what we do is funeral directors who are providing services for veterans and their families get these flags from the veterans' administration. When they come, they're in a small box. So, what we have to do is press them for them. By doing that for free, it's something we can do to honor those veterans when they were serving their country in the military," Steve Thompson said.
If you have a flag that needs to be cleaned and perfectly pressed, Thompson will do it free of charge for anyone. This is his service to our community and to our military.
If you have a story of service to share, just email us at storiesofservice@firstcoastnews.com.