Latest news with #HealingField
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
‘Heartwarming': Annual ‘Healing Field' in Murfreesboro honors veterans who have passed away
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (WKRN) — Among the countless Memorial Day events across Middle Tennessee, Murfreesboro concluded a weekend of remembrance at their 16th annual 'Healing Field.' Organized by a local nonprofit, Freedom Trail Foundation of TN, 504 American flags were set-up this year. Of those, around 350 of them were dedicated to veterans lost in battle or those who served our country and have since passed away. 'I have two brothers who served in the service. Some brother-in-laws and close friends, so yes, this is very heartwarming. It's really something,' said Navy veteran David Korn. There's a specific way to fly your US flag on Memorial Day: What to know Korn's brothers did not die while in service, but he still got emotional talking about their sacrifices while in uniform. He brought his grandkids with him to honor the heroes we've lost. 'If you take any one person here and read their life story, it's heart wrenching. I think a lot of people don't realize that, you know, it's just 'oh wow, it's another day off for us!'' said Korn. The Freedom Trail Foundation added nearly 100 flags to their display in 2025, while also adding a unique history lesson for their visitors. 'It's the history of the American flag, from the Grand Union all the way to the current day 50-star flag. As you go along the trail, there's a sign telling the story of each flag,' explained Event Chair Tracey Kennedy. 4 finally going home after WWII bomber crash left 11 dead and 'non-recoverable' Kennedy called the field 'breathtaking;' a view she never gets tired of. As intended, it's also a weekend filled with emotional reflection. 'I've cried a few times this weekend. We have a lot of people come through and tell us the stories of their parents and grandparents, sometimes it's their sons and daughters,' said Kennedy. 'There are some out here that are Missing in Action (MIA), and those probably stand out to me the most; to know they never got to come home.' ⏩ Every person who pays to sponsor a flag is able to keep it. Kennedy said people typically frame and hang their dedicated flag inside their homes. The money paid for each flag is ultimately pumped back into funding and growing the 3-day memorial service, according to Kennedy, plus the other work of their nonprofit. Eventually, the goal is to grow the 'Healing Field' to 1,000 flags. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
‘We haven't forgotten': 500 flags on display in Farmington for Memorial Day
FARMINGTON, N.M. (KRQE) – A display of 500 flags in honor of fallen veterans has been installed in Farmington for Memorial Day weekend. The annual Healing Field flag display produced by the San Juan Rotary Club has taken place for the last 13 years in the northwestern New Mexico city. 'Our flag is our symbol for our country. And this is a way of showing our fallen veterans and their families that we continue on to remember them and make them proud of what we do in this country,' said Terri Fortner, president of the San Juan Rotary Club. LIST: Albuquerque city services operating on Memorial Day Around 70 volunteers from the San Juan Rotary Club, the Farmington Chamber Redcoats, the District Attorney's Office, and other local organizations placed the flags in a field adjacent to the Boys and Girls Club Friday morning. 'We also have dog tags from the fallen veterans. We have 200 of those that commemorate their names, and if you walk through when the wind is blowing, you can hear the dinking of the dog tags. So it's a very emotional time for a lot of people,' Fortner explained. The display will be open throughout the weekend. A closing ceremony will be held at the field on Memorial Day at 6 p.m. There will be multiple speakers, the singing of the National Anthem, a reading of the roll, and the event will conclude with a performance of 'Taps'. At the end of the ceremony, guests are asked to leave the field quietly in honor of the fallen heroes. 'I want to make sure that they're always remembered because they're the ones that gave the total sacrifice of their life, and to also to let their friends and family know that we haven't forgotten. We also, in this, honor the first responders for our community that have also lost their life in service,' said Fortner. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
