Stars and Stripes: More than a Flag

What does the American flag mean to you? In conjunction with the exhibition American Flags join a conversation with veterans and historians on the history of the flag, its evolution and its role as a symbol of American pride and protest over the years. Held on Veteran's Day, this talk will focus on the importance of public service and the challenges that come with it. Hear from guest curator and nationally known flag expert Peter Keim, historian Dr. Stephen Sloan, Lt. General Jeff Howell and Lisa Sharik on their experiences and how bearing witness to pivotal moments in our nation's history gave greater meaning to those who served.

About the Panel

Lt. Gen. Jeff Howell, is a retired U.S. Marine Corps Lieutenant General, former Director of the Johnson Space Center and Adjunct Professor with the Lyndon B. Johnson School for Public Affairs at the University of Texas. Through over 30 years in the military Lt. Gen. Howell's personal decorations include: Defense Superior Service Medal; Legion of Merit; Bronze Star Medal with Combat "V"; and Navy Commendation Medal with Combat "V". In 1980, he received the John Paul Jones Award for Inspirational Leadership from the Navy League of the United States.

American Flags Curator Dr. Peter Keim, a physician who also served in the U.S. Army Medical Corps, lives in Austin, Texas. Keim is a nationally known flag expert, collector and author. His collection contains an example of every version of the flag starting with 13 stars and continuing to the current 50 star style.

Lisa Sharik is the Deputy Director of the Texas Military Forces Museum located at Camp Mabry in Austin, Texas. The institution is the official museum for the military forces of Texas including the Texas Army, Air, and State Guard. She is responsible for cataloguing of all material, archival collections, research requests, artifact research, tours, volunteers, website and social media, and overall administrative operations at the museum. Her areas of special interest include the WWI and WWII history of the 36th Infantry Division.

Dr. Stephen Sloan, is an Associate Professor of History and Director at the Baylor University Institute of Oral History. He is the co-editor of the recent book Tattooed on My Soul: Texas Veterans Remember World War II and principal investigator on a grant from the Texas Holocaust and Genocide Commission to conduct oral histories with survivors of genocide and veterans who helped liberate concentration camps that live in the state.

Support for the Bullock Museum's exhibitions and education programs provided by the Texas State History Museum Foundation.