Volunteers prepare massive American flag at Spaceport America for USA’s 250th anniversary

TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES, New Mexico (KVIA) -- Volunteers gathered this weekend at Spaceport America to help clean and preserve one of the world’s largest American flags, a massive textile nearly two acres in size that has been part of several notable moments in the nation’s history.

Members of the Great American Flag Preservation Group, along with community volunteers and Spaceport staff, spent the weekend unfurling, cleaning and preparing the enormous flag for future displays as the United States approaches its 250th anniversary.

The flag measures about 420 feet wide and 211 feet long, covering roughly 86,000 square feet and weighing nearly 15,000 pounds. Because of its immense size and weight, dozens of volunteers are required to move, wash and refold the fabric.

“It’s really a living monument that has been around since the 1980s, it’s something that invokes pride in a lot of people and it’s something that needs to be around for a lot longer,” AJ Rehberg, co-founder of the Great American Flag Preservation Group, said.

Rehberg said the idea to help preserve the flag began years ago through an unlikely conversation with fellow co-founder Josh Dorfman.

“We were sitting at a bar after a beer league talking about impulse eBay buys, and he tells me about the time his dad bought a two-acre, seven-ton American flag on eBay,” Rehberg said. “Once I started learning the story, it was just something that I thought I wanted to be a part of.”

The restoration effort comes after years of searching for a location large and secure enough to handle the project. Spaceport America provided an ideal setting with a wide aircraft ramp, secure facilities and dry New Mexico weather that allows the fabric to dry quickly.

“So we were looking for a partner with a facility large enough for a two-acre flag, strong security and someone willing to take on the project,” Josh Dorfman, co-founder of the Great American Flag Preservation Group, said. “Spaceport leaned into the giant project, which was phenomenal, and the fact that it’s here in New Mexico, where we can dry it out overnight, was a cherry on top.”

The weekend schedule included unfurling the flag Friday morning, followed by multiple cleaning sessions where volunteers used oxygen based cleaners and water to remove years of accumulated dirt from the heavy duty polyester fabric.

The flag was then sprayed with thousands of gallons of water and allowed to dry before volunteers return Sunday morning to refold it and prepare it for transport back to Pennsylvania.

“It’s a lot of manpower and elbow grease,” Rehberg said. “You just eat it like an elephant, one bite at a time.”

The massive flag has a long and unusual history. The first version was created in 1976 by University of Vermont marketing professor Len Silverfine to celebrate the nation’s bicentennial and was briefly displayed on the Verrazano Narrows Bridge before wind damage destroyed it.

A stronger version was later produced with industrial polyester fabric designed to withstand harsh conditions. The finished flag became one of the largest single pieces of textile ever created and was dedicated in 1980 to the Americans held hostage in Iran.

It later welcomed the hostages home after their release and was formally accepted as a gift to the nation during a ceremony on the White House lawn in 1983.

After years moving between government storage and museums, the flag was eventually auctioned in 2001, when Dorfman’s father purchased it during a televised online auction.

“My dad was unsupervised one day and he was watching the History Channel where they were advertising an eBay auction for the flag, and he placed what turned out to be the winning bid,” Dorfman said.

Just days after the Sept. 11 attacks, the flag was unfurled near the crash site of United Flight 93 in Pennsylvania as thousands gathered to mourn.

Since then, organizers have worked to preserve the historic artifact and find opportunities to display it across the country.

Local leaders also joined volunteers Saturday to assist with the cleaning effort.

“It’s such a privilege to be the representative for Spaceport America,” New Mexico state Rep. Rebecca Dow (R) said. “When I heard that one of the largest American flags was coming here, you’ve got to be here for that.”

Dow said the project is especially meaningful as the nation approaches the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.

“There’s nowhere more free, more generous, more diverse than America, and what a way to put a little elbow grease in and celebrate,” Dow said.

Spaceport officials said hosting the restoration effort reflects the facility’s connection to major historical milestones.

“This is just a unique opportunity,” Allan Turk, director of aerospace operations at Spaceport America, said. “Having one of the world’s largest American flags sitting right here on our ramp, it’s just heartwarming.”

Turk said volunteers have embraced the rare chance to participate in preserving a piece of American history.

“The volunteers have absolutely been loving the opportunity,” Turk said. “It’s just an experience that most people are never going to have the chance to see.”

Organizers hope the cleaning effort will allow the flag to appear at patriotic events across the country in the coming months, particularly during Independence Day and Flag Day celebrations in 2026.

“Our dream has been to have this ready for the 250th anniversary,” Dorfman said. “We feel like we’re getting close, and it’s a very special moment.”