Photo Gallery: 'Field of Honor' Pays Tribute to Michigan's Fallen Troops
The flags and biography tags are on display this weekend at Guardian Angel Cemetery in Oakland Township.
Photos
Just inside the iron gates of Guardian Angel Cemetery on Rochester Road in Oakland Township, 245 American flags arranged meticulously in six rows flap in the breeze.
Each of the flags represents a Michigan serviceman or woman who died as a result of the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, and each flagpole bears that man or woman's name, photograph, hometown and a short biography.
“We’ve done the flags for the past couple years, and the idea to add the tags with the bios on it was a collective idea," said Guardian Angel Cemetery Director Wendy Mann. “We’ve been working on it for the past couple months. It’s definitely a project.”
Mann said the Field of Honor was erected Tuesday near the silo, but heavy rain flooded the area and forced grounds crews to move the entire display to higher ground. Crews were putting the finishing touches on the patriotic display Friday afternoon.
“It’s really eye-opening when you see a photo of someone – when you see a photo of a boy, really, or a young girl – that’s on the cards that could be your neighbor or anything like that, and it’s just, to see all the cards up, it’s quite overwhelming.”
Mann said the goal of the Field of Honor is simply to pay tribute to Michigan's fallen military members.
"Look at what these people sacrificed," she said. "It’s just amazing."
Tran Longmoore
5:07 pm on Friday, May 27, 2011
The people at Guardian Angel Cemetery should be commended.
Linda Andersen
10:25 am on Saturday, May 28, 2011
The Field of Honor is a moving tribute to those who gave their lives. I wonder why it was moved inside the fence though, I believe it was much more impressive on the outside of the gates. However, it makes me cry when I drive by...what a wonderful way honor our fallen heroes. Thank you Guardian Angel.
Mike Jones
5:27 pm on Friday, May 27, 2011
Very powerful
JR
6:07 pm on Friday, May 27, 2011
A wonderful tribute to those who are protecing our freedom.
Brooke Tajer
8:54 pm on Friday, May 27, 2011
Photo 152 of PFC Byron Fouty will always hold a special place in my heart. One of my first stories I wrote as a professional journalist was about Fouty and the recovery of his body. His family and those that fought beside him will be in my thoughts this Memorial Day.
Nicole Krawcke
11:45 pm on Friday, May 27, 2011
My husband served with Army SGT (he was promoted after his death) Christopher Monroe in the 785th Military Police Battallion in Iraq in 2005. Thank you to all of our soldiers, everywhere, who have made the ultimate sacrafice for our country. This was a great thing the cemetery did to honor these brave soldiers.
Wanda
8:20 am on Saturday, May 28, 2011
So nice to see those that gave the ultimate sacrifice being honored in this way!
Colleen Stormer
9:45 am on Saturday, May 28, 2011
Thank you so much for posting this article. Our family will be making a special trip to the Field of Honor to pay a Special Tribute to the fallen Soldiers. Hopefully other cemeteries in the US will follow this marvelous Tribute to our very brave soldiers.
Tom Driscoll
10:31 am on Saturday, May 28, 2011
This is a great tribute. In Williamson County Texas each year tribute is made to all soldiers at the Veterans Memorial Plaza located in Sun City Texas. Tom Driscoll
timothy driscoll
5:59 pm on Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Where in the world could you come from? That when you see our countries flag,
you know in your heart that it`s citizen armed servicemen and women have always given all they have to protect mankinds freedom around the world.bless them all.
Daniel Lai
11:37 am on Saturday, May 28, 2011
Hi Tom,
It's funny you mention that because my first job was at the Taylor Daily Press in Taylor, TX and we used to cover that event.
Kevin Moser
6:49 pm on Saturday, May 28, 2011
Berkley American Legion has placed flags every year in Roseland Park Cemetery on as many Veterans graves as possible. They run out of flags. They need over 3000 to cover every veteran. Norm Johnson of Berkley started this about 20 years ago. Boy Scouts from Berkley help out. They really need help on Tuesday morning collecting flags and returning to Berkley American Legion ahead of the lawn cutting. Flags usually have a blue paing mark on bottom. Anyone that has time to help collect and return to Berkley American Legion Post, the help would be greatly appreciated.
Denise G.
12:17 pm on Monday, May 30, 2011
There's a Field of Honor in Trenton, also. It's at the corner of West and Westfield. Boy Scouts from Wyandotte, Trenton and Grosse Ile helped put up the flags. There will be a ceremony on June 4.
Mary Hess
7:50 am on Wednesday, April 11, 2012
I pray that we never forget
Ruthann Bajorek
7:28 pm on Sunday, May 27, 2012
Thanks to you, we will make a point of visiting the Field of Honor to pay tribute to the fallen soldiers. I wasn't sure what we might do, but now I know. We must never forget.
Dexter Rotary Memorial Day Parade
9:24 pm on Wednesday, March 20, 2013
A memorial wall with the names of the 245 service personnel that died in these conflicts will be on the grounds at the Dexter Memorial Day Ceremony.