Jackson County’s Flags of Honor will be presented differently this year because of weather damage.
Flags of Honor Committee Vice President Cherry Ramsey said the organization has spent three years managing the display but recently faced challenges with inclement winds and tattered flags. Ramsey said the committee is now purchasing new flags and will list each veteran’s name on a billboard around the square rather than assigning a specific large flag to each individual.
“We just think that’s an important thing for all these veterans that have given their, some of them lives, and at least service to our country, that that’s just a small thing that we can do to recognize them,” Ramsey said. “And a lot of people that can see their family’s name on this banner that they’ve passed on in years past, you know, that just seems to make them feel good to see that their person’s name has been recognized as a as a veteran of Jackson County.”
Ramsey said the committee will also install a field of small individual flags to represent more than 700 veterans listed in the veterans hall. Ramsey said the large flags around the square will no longer remain up year-round to protect them.
“Around the square, we’ve run out of room also, but like I’m looking at one right now, I’m on the square and they get tattered and torn from the weather, so we’re having to replace them so often,” Ramsey said.
Ramsey said the flags will be displayed for the Share to Care event on June 28 and will remain through the America 250 celebration in July.
“That’s what we’ve had trouble doing and we’ve not been able to master Mother Nature yet,” Ramsey said. “We’re still trying but we think if we leave them up and then take them down not leave them up so long, they won’t get tattered as much.”
Ramsey said the committee previously allowed donors to purchase individual flags for family members who were active or retired veterans. Ramsey said the new schedule focuses on major holidays and events to maximize community engagement and support for the veterans.
“It’s something we can do to recognize them for all their sacrifices and years of service that they’ve done, that’s just a small thing for us to be able to do,” Ramsey said.
The new revamped schedule will be focused on Veterans Day and Memorial Day weekend.
“That seems how we get more people to come out and support us and to recognize the veterans because they call their names out and they recognize them,” Ramsey said. “We just try to do some individual holidays that center around the veterans. And everybody’s seemed to be very supportive of it in the past.”
Ramsey said the deadline to submit veteran names for the banner is June 15, and donations are being accepted at First Freedom Bank.