John Rogers’ unflagging devotion

Long before the disaster of Sept. 11 made flag-waving fashionable, John Rogers was out there doing it.

On my commute to work, you couldn't fail to notice him at the traffic-jammed intersection of Kalakaua and Kapiolani. Who was this guy waving furiously at passersby with one hand and holding this big American flag in the other? How sweet, but how corny. He must really want attention. These were my ignoble thoughts.

Rogers is gone now. He died Saturday after becoming ill while waving the flag at his customary corner.

Rogers would try to make eye contact with drivers, ducking his head as a car approached to get to eye, and waving like he meant it. He'd shout out greetings at the top of his lungs, perspiration streaming down his face as he flashed the shaka sign.

It was astounding how much energy he exerted just while I waited for the light to turn green. I'd feel glad for him when someone responded to him with a wave or a honk. That was his reward for reaching out; someone reached back.

After Sept. 11, I'll bet his heart filled with pride when he saw so many cars sporting American flags and so many more passersby responded to him. Finally, his timing was right. After years of being thought of as a little odd, he could say, "I told you so. It's OK to show you love your country."

-- Pat Gee

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