As America marks its 250th anniversary, a forgotten American flag tucked away in a garage in Savannah, Georgia, for six decades has returned home.
The story comes several days after the iconic Leopold’s Ice Cream was featured on NBC’s TODAY show as one of America’s standout regional ice cream destinations ahead of National Ice Cream Day. On Aug. 15, the beloved shop will celebrate its 107th anniversary, when the restored flag will officially make its official debut.
The fragile 48-star flag belonged to Peter Leopold, a Greek immigrant who came to America seeking opportunity, enlisted in the U.S. Army during World War I to serve his adopted country, and proudly displayed the flag outside Leopold’s Ice Cream during patriotic holidays. Wounded while serving in France, Peter never forgot the opportunities this country gave his family. His gratitude was reflected in both his military service and the respect he showed generations of service members who walked through the doors of Leopold’s Ice Cream, often surprising active-duty military personnel by quietly paying for their ice cream as a gesture of thanks.
“Throughout his life, my dad supported those in uniform,” Stratton Leopold, Peter’s son, said. “He also flew the American flag on every appropriate holiday. This flag flew in front of our original location on Habersham Street for many decades, beginning in the 1920s.”
The flag was last furled in 1963, the year Peter died. It remained hidden in the rafters of a Savannah garage for 60 years until Stratton, a Hollywood producer and former Paramount Pictures executive, discovered it following the death of his mother.
Recognizing its significance, Stratton set out to preserve both the flag and his father’s legacy. Rather than risk shipping the fragile artifact, he and a friend personally drove it to nationally recognized textile conservator Cathy Heffner in West Virginia, where she spent more than a year carefully cleaning, stabilizing and mounting the flag.
July is officially recognized as National Ice Cream Month, a designation established by President Ronald Reagan in 1984. For the past 16 years, Stratton and his wife, Mary, have celebrated the occasion through the shop’s “I Pledge for Ice Cream” tradition, where children 12 and younger who recite the Pledge of Allegiance from memory receive a free scoop of ice cream. This year, for the first time, Peter’s restored 48-star flag will serve as the backdrop for this year’s “I Pledge for Ice Cream” celebration.
“Leopold’s continues Peter’s support for those who serve, especially through our ‘I Pledge’ project, which rewards youngsters under the age of 12 with a free ice cream cone for reciting the Pledge of Allegiance from memory,” Stratton said. “We have always supported those who serve with discounts and heartfelt thanks.
“This year, we will continue the celebration of America’s 250th birthday and present the flag at our annual birthday party. This party is Leopold’s way of saying ‘thank you’ to the community and all of our loyal guests and friends over the decades.”
