FLAGS FOR THE FALLEN

YORK COUNTY, S.C. — A local paramedic is used to serving others, which is why he wanted to find a way to honor those who lost their lives in the line of duty.

He started making wooden American flags and dozens of flags later, what started as a solo mission has turned into so much more.

In January 2018, four York County officers were shot in the line of duty and Detective Mike Doty died.

ALSO READ: Local woodworkers create flag honoring slain York County detective

“To have it happen here and be people we know, it’s just devastating,” Daniel Thomasson said. “We’ve gone on calls with these guys for years. It didn’t make any sense.”

Thomasson is a paramedic with Piedmont EMS. He runs a woodworking business on his days off and started crafting handmade flags for every first responder killed on the job.

“We have roughly 200 line of duty deaths around the year,” Thomasson said. "Just another way to remember their loved one."

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Through “Flags for the Fallen,” Thomasson has sent dozens of flags to departments across the country and in return, he has received patches and handwritten letters thanking him.

“I had one written in crayon ‘Thank you for making a flag for my daddy,'” Thomasson said.

He added he couldn’t take on this project alone -- his coworker at Piedmont EMS Shanna Nunnley also works at Hoof and Barrel.

Nunnley volunteered to donate her tips from her shift to the project and her boss told her whatever she made, he would match it.

CLICK: Flags for the Fallen

People from all over York County saw her post and wanted to help.

“I ended up making $1,200 so he had to match it,” Nunnley said.

The fundraiser alone raised enough for 60 flags. Thomasson said he has no plans to stop making the flags.

CLICK: Facebook -- Flags for the Fallen

“Everybody across the country loves them. We’re here for you, we support you,” Thomasson said. “I’ll keep making 'em as long as y’all here to support me and keep me going.”

Thomasson creates two flags for each service member killed in the line of duty -- one of the department and one for their family.

He said he is working to establish “Flags for the Fallen” as a nonprofit and hopes to one day include a scholarship for the children of first responders.

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