Latest news with #ThousandFlags
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
'Remember them by their names': Thousand Flags pays tribute on Memorial Day weekend
Remember their names. Speak them aloud. Honor the freedom they secured for you. "They always say a soldier dies twice — when they actually die and the last time that you say their name. So we always make sure to remember them by their names, especially this weekend," Kim Price reflected Saturday during the opening ceremony for Thousand Flags, an annual, moving Memorial Day tribute at The Park at River Walk put on by the Bakersfield Breakfast Rotary Club. Price introduced a cadre of Bakersfield Pageant title holders, recalling that earlier that day two had placed American flags at the gravesites of grandparents buried at Bakersfield National Cemetery. She remembered her own grandfather's military service, too, imploring listeners to remember Memorial Day isn't simply an extra day off or a time for barbecues. The Rev. Angelo Frazier, a pastor at RiverLakes Community Church and volunteer chaplain at the Bakersfield Police Department, invited those gathered at the park to, on the count of three, mention aloud the names of loved ones who have gone before us. And then a second time. Names were quietly uttered. "No greater love than this; that one lays down his life for his friends," Frazier said, quoting scripture. Although the Bible passage refers to the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus, it also reminds us of those who gave the ultimate sacrifice under heaven, the pastor said. He prayed that the Thousand Flags display would give people hope, inspire them and remind them of the future to come. He also asked that people pray for and support those still living who are burdened with great loss. Leaders of the Bakersfield Breakfast Rotary Club see firsthand the touching moments that come from their diligent work to pull off the annual display honoring the ultimate sacrifice of those who have served their country. Denise Haynes, the club's Thousand Flags event director, said touching moments emerge every year: The simple "thank you" for the display. A man who asks if he might have the honor of placing a flag, then reveals he wanted to do so for a fallen friend. Another who places a tribute card before a flag, and follows with prayer. "We enjoy and are honored to give this event to the community each year," Haynes said. The moments are pure and simple. The South High School JROTC raised the flag. Koumba Cariño Diallo sang "The Star-Spangled Banner." Women and men in seemingly private moments shed tears as they stroll among the 1,000 American flags planted in the park's soil. "We at the Bakersfield Breakfast Rotary Club are honored to bring this majestic and patriotic tribute to the community each year," club President David Lari said. Times of reflection — along with a concert, barbecue, resource fair, run and walk and more — continue through Monday. To conclude Saturday's opening ceremony, Bakersfield Mayor Karen Goh called on the community to remember the price of freedom. She summarized the sacrifice of U.S. Army Sgt. Larry S. Pierce of Taft, who in the central highlands of South Vietnam threw himself upon a mine on Sept. 20, 1965 to save his company of 29 men. He was only 24, and left behind a wife, daughter and two sons. "So today as we take the time to wander through this beautiful array, let us remember that price of freedom, that precious price of freedom," Goh said. "And let our hearts never forget those who paid that price. Let us also always remember the families who paid the price of freedom." Let our daily actions live out and honor the freedom that was purchased so dearly for us, the mayor said. Remember their names. Speak them aloud.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Thousand Flags event returns with new entertainment in its 11th edition
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — It's the 11th edition of Thousand Flags. The annual event honors fallen service members with a visual display symbolizing the larger than life sacrifice those heroes made. This year, new things are coming to the 3-day event. 'We have added a family-friendly concert in the park, it's going to be right in the park, not in the amphitheater, right in the park, right next to the flags,' said Denise Haynes, event director for Thousand Flags. Three bands will be playing from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. 22 years after construction started, angular Panorama Drive mansion is ready for occupancy — by a new owner If you like more energetic activities on Memorial Day weekend, look no further. 'Sunday morning we have our inaugural 5k, one mile fun run, or walk, you don't have to run,' said Haynes. 'That will take place right here in the park, you start off and finish running through the flags.' The event is back after suffering a hiccup six months ago, when a trailer and hundreds of flags were stolen. 'It was appalling,' said Haynes. 'And we were all in disbelief, and of course my belief is that whoever stole it had no idea what they were stealing.' With the flags replaced, the event is ready to accomplish its main goal. Never miss a story: Make your homepage 'We are to honor and to remember solemnly the men and women who gave their lives in service of this country,' said Haynes. 'And there is nothing that does that better than strolling through this thousand flags, you get goose bumps. There's nothing else like it.' For more information on the event's schedule and signup for the run click here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
