Community Corner

Field of Flags is a Moving Tribute to Our Fallen Troops

More than 6,800 flags — each representing a life lost in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq — come together to create a moving memorial to our troops.

They are not just flags. And this is not an ordinary field.

The "Field of Flags" is a symbolic and poignant tribute to our troops — to the 6,803 that gave their lives fighting for our country in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq (as of April 24, 2014).

"Each flag represents not simply one casualty, but all the family members and friends who have been touched by that life now gone," a document at the field notes. "They represent our respect for those who have served and are currently serving in the military and our hope for peace in the future, for a time when no one is called upon by our country to give the greatest sacrifice."

The Field of Flags has been installed on the grounds of Newtown Congregational Church. It will remain there until late May, when it returns to its original home at the Somers Congregational Church in Somers, Conn., before being retired during a ceremony there at 4 p.m. on June 1.

The Field was dedicated with a prayer last Sunday following the 10 a.m. mass at Newtown Congregational Church, located at 14 West St.

In addition to the flags, the tribute includes a list, by state, showing the name and rank of each casualty.


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