Detroit tailor repairs American flags for free - KMSP-TV

On a street in downtown Detroit, you could walk right past an alterations for men and women sign and never even know that inside something very patriotic was going on.

On a family heirloom sewing machine that's over 100 years old, Clark Anter repairs American flags at no charge.

"I'm carrying on a family tradition ... because it's important to me," he said.

This has been a tradition at Lott Anter Tailoring for 93 years.

"Back in that era, everybody was dying to get into this country.  They weren't able even to speak the home language.  You had to speak English in the house, and he was just glad to be here, proud to be an American, glad to have the opportunity to be in this country, and this was his little way of giving back," Anter explained.

Thousands of frayed edges have been mended, rips repaired and grommets fixed.

"I see more the nylons and they don't last as long as the cloth in my opinion," Anter said.

The bigger flags are the most difficult.

Now, thanks to the internet, Anter started getting flags from other states, and rarely does the sender include money for return postage.

"It's a matter of honoring my father, grandfather and the country," said Anter.

Mind you, Anter has an alterations business to run, so he does his best to keep up.