The story of Jesus Sanchez Cabral: how his loss of sight altered the course of the life of one of his sons, and wrote a new chapter in the history of America's flag.

Jesus Sanchez "Chuy" Cabral was born in Valparaiso in Zacatecas, Mexico in 1916, during the Mexican Revolution/Civil War (1910-1920), one of the last of the long series of Mexican/Indian Wars.

As the war waged on Jesus' father instructed his wife to leave for the United States and to take the children with her, while he remained behind to fight to keep the family land. Unfortunately, he was killed and was never to see his small family or they him again. Jesus, along with his mother and siblings made their way to Chicago, Illinois which was to become their new home. At the time Jesus was only two years of age. For the next several years the family lived in Chicago.

Working for the Rock Island and Union Pacific railroads led the family to Kansas, and eventually Hutchinson, Kansas where their new home became a permanent one.

In 1941 World War II broke out and Jesus, barely 25 years of age, enlisted in the Army Air Corps. From 1941 to 1946 he was deployed to Eastern Africa, the South Pacific, and Northern Europe. During his time in service he was awarded several medals. Following the war, Jesus married and fathered 11 children. Ten years previous to his death in March of 1998, he became blind due to glaucoma. Blindness robbed Jesus of many things, but, perhaps nothing saddened him more than no longer being able to post the American flag on his front porch. Something he regarded as a duty of all Americans.

In 1994, among the many children, his middle son Randolph Cabral took up an interest in Braille and services to the blind. In 1998, the same year Jesus died Randolph founded an institute in Wichita, Kansas in his father's memory, directed toward helping those who are blind or have low vision.

In 2000, the Institute was officially chartered and took the name Kansas Braille Transcription Institute.

One evening while working late in his office, Randolph created a tactile American flag to honor his father.

In February 2008, the with the help of Kansas Congressman Todd Tiahrt, the U.S. Congress unanimously authorized placement of the Braille flag at Arlington National Cemetery as a tribute to blind veterans and other blind Americans. In April of 2008 the Braille flag was officially installed at the cemetery. Today the American Braille flag is mass produced in Wichita, Kansas, and literally thousands have found their way into blind veteran's homes and hospitals, offices of elected officials, schools for the blind, and many different businesses.

Proceeds generated from the American Braille flag benefit blind and low vision veterans and other blind and low vision Americans.