Read more about Evansville’s chapter in the American story in the July/August 2026 feature story.
Beacons of Freedom
In tending to worn flags, Mike Schopmeyer puts his patriotism into practice
Mike Schopmeyer’s position on displaying the American flag is clear: “If somebody spent that much money on a flag pole, it should have a flag on it.” For around 20 years, anytime the Kahn, Dees, Donovan & Kahn attorney spots a bare pole or tattered American flag, he stops his car, removes a new flag from the trunk, and raises it. “It didn’t really start as a mission,” he says. “I just do it.”
Raised in Winchester, Indiana, with a father who served in the Korean War and a grandfather who served in World War I, “This country represents freedom, and the flag is a beacon of freedom for the world,” he says. His ability to afford reinforced flags made of high-quality nylon, his knowledge of flag etiquette, and his longtime support for Keep Evansville Beautiful also fuels his passion.
Schopmeyer estimates that he replaces 4-8 flags each year. Ones slightly torn are sent to a seamstress or fixed by Schopmeyer himself. Ones beyond repair are given to a local Boy Scout troop, which performs flag retirement ceremonies.
Himself a dedicated Boy Scout, Schopmeyer tries to follow the official protocols for handling the American flag. “It’s hard to keep them from touching the ground or to fold a flag properly by yourself,” he says.
Schopmeyer admits he doesn’t always ask the property owner for permission — “I’ll just pull up, take the flag down, and put a new flag up” — but recipients are nearly always grateful. “Sometimes they apologize for not getting around to it. Some are too busy. Think of a nursing home — they have their hands full!” he says.
Torn flags particularly draw his ire. “Ninety percent of vets, if they see a ripped flag, it tears at their soul. It’s a little minor piece of respect we can show,” he says. His motto? “Don’t walk past a torn flag and just do nothing,” Schopmeyer says.
Need to retire your American flag? The Eykamp Scout Center, Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1114, Charles Denby VFW Post #2953, and St. Philip Catholic Church accept flags for ceremonial disposal. Browning Funeral Home offers to dispose of flags with deceased veterans who choose to be cremated.
Galen Deig honors America by performing the national anthem
If you’ve attended the West Side Nut Club’s Fall Festival since 2022, chances are you’ve heard Galen Deig belt out “The Star-Spangled Banner” at noon. Resurrected that year as a daily tradition, he and fellow Nut Club members felt performing the anthem was important, but were floored by the response. “Franklin Street froze. It was the middle of the lunch rush, and thousands of people had their hats off and their hands over hearts, looking at the nearest American flag,” Deig recalls. “No one told them to do that; it just happened. The park even shut down rides. From Saint Joseph to Wabash, everything stopped.”
The lyrics, penned by Francis Scott Key in 1814, had long been familiar to Deig, a baritone who was first trained by former F.J. Reitz High School choir director James Haygood. “The anthem is way harder to sing than most people realize,” he says. “Starting out on the right note is crucial (because) the first part hits the low range and the end has the high range. You have to be very confident in the melody, then the words.” Some crowds sing along, but “more often than not, it’s silent,” he says.
Between Otters baseball games, youth sports matches, and other events, Deig estimates he has performed the anthem about 50 times. A Nut Club member since 1994, Deig sings it once or twice at each Fall Festival. “I’m no Mariah Carey,” he laughs. “I don’t pretend to be the best singer by any means, but I enjoy doing it. This song is a tribute to what makes America great.”
