Flags of Honor now available for this year's Memorial Day weekend

A lone veteran walks among the Flags of Honore display erected on the Common prior to a recent Memorial Day Services. (Rochester Voice file photo)

ROCHESTER - Vouchers for Veterans and the City of Rochester announced on Tuesday that heroism will be on display this Memorial Day weekend on the Rochester Common when Flags of Honor will be on display with 550 full size American flags displayed within and around the mile oval park.

The event is free to the public to attend, and will open on May 23 and will remain open to the public until its dismantling the morning of May 26. The event attracts thousands of visitors who will pay their respects over the weekend to the brave men and women who have served our country.

Each evening at 7 p.m. during the display buglers will play taps and a bagpiper will play while walking among the field of flags. Of the 550 American Flags on display, some will be dedicated by local businesses in the memory of individual New Hampshire and Maine Veterans who made the ultimate sacrifice. The remaining flags will all be dedicated to any American veteran of your choosing. Each flag is identified with a laminated card containing the name, branch, rank and insignia of the veteran being honored, and is attached to its own flagpole with a yellow silk ribbon. On the bottom of each card will be the name of the business or person(s) dedicating the flag.

On Monday, May 25, the Rochester Memorial Day Parade will end at the Rochester Common around 11 a.m. and the Memorial Day ceremony will take place immediately following.

Vouchers for Veterans Founder Jeanne Grover says she is overjoyed to be able to bring the event back this year for a sixth year.

"Every year we witness people wiping away tears as they stroll among the field of flags, reading names on each card," she said. "We are so grateful to the City of Rochester for partnering with us so that this display is available for the community."

"Flags of Honor is an unforgettable tribute that captures both the sacrifice and the enduring spirit of those who served our country," added Vouchers for Veterans Executive Director Morgan Morani.

To dedicate a flag visit vouchersforveterans.org

You can do it online or download a form to print and mail in. The deadline to dedicate a flag is May 14. All proceeds from this event go directly toward providing fresh, local food to veterans in New Hampshire and Maine, sourced from farmers who call these communities home.