Air Force sergeant wears 'Grown in Idaho' seal with pride
Air Force sergeant wears 'Grown in Idaho' seal with pride
A five-pound bag of Idaho potatoes isn't the only place to find the "Grown in Idaho" seal. While stationed in Guam, Technical Sergeant Ben David, who is currently stationed at Hill Air Force Base in Utah, had the famous "Grown in Idaho" seal tattooed on his right shoulder.
"A couple years ago, I looked at the 'Grown in Idaho' seal and thought, 'Hey, I'm grown in Idaho, too,'" said Mr. David. "I am extremely proud of my Idaho roots and am not afraid to show it. To me, the seal not only means great potatoes, it means a great state, a great way of life and something to be proud of."
Mr. David isn't the only person with the seal on his arm. Two of his brothers also had it tattooed on their shoulders when Mr. David came home on leave. There is still one brother who is tattoo-less, but Ben David believes that it's only a matter of time before his Idaho pride compels him to follow his siblings.
"When I learned of Ben's tattoo, I was actually touched," said Frank Muir, president and chief executive officer of the Idaho Potato Commission. "Here is a young airman who is so proud of his American heritage, especially his Idaho roots, he has a permanent tattoo to symbolize this drawn on his shoulder."
The commission tells consumers to look for the "Grown in Idaho" seal when purchasing potatoes to make sure they are buying genuine Idaho potatoes. However, when it comes to people wearing the seal, the commission believes that anyone who tattoos the logo on their shoulder must be genuine in every sense of the word.
"A couple years ago, I looked at the 'Grown in Idaho' seal and thought, 'Hey, I'm grown in Idaho, too,'" said Mr. David. "I am extremely proud of my Idaho roots and am not afraid to show it. To me, the seal not only means great potatoes, it means a great state, a great way of life and something to be proud of."
Mr. David isn't the only person with the seal on his arm. Two of his brothers also had it tattooed on their shoulders when Mr. David came home on leave. There is still one brother who is tattoo-less, but Ben David believes that it's only a matter of time before his Idaho pride compels him to follow his siblings.
"When I learned of Ben's tattoo, I was actually touched," said Frank Muir, president and chief executive officer of the Idaho Potato Commission. "Here is a young airman who is so proud of his American heritage, especially his Idaho roots, he has a permanent tattoo to symbolize this drawn on his shoulder."
The commission tells consumers to look for the "Grown in Idaho" seal when purchasing potatoes to make sure they are buying genuine Idaho potatoes. However, when it comes to people wearing the seal, the commission believes that anyone who tattoos the logo on their shoulder must be genuine in every sense of the word.
