The "In Honor Of Those Who Served" Story

Looking down onto the Masonic Village's Veterans Grove

It was an ordinary day.  Overcast and chilly with a chance of showers in the forecast.  I'm standing on the top of a beautiful grassy grove that is almost entirely covered with flags.  American flags as well as  Pennsylvania Sate Flags dot the landscape.  Beautiful sight, so it is.  

Signs tell the story.

I have come today to view this display that was erected on Masonic Village's Veterans Grove to honor each soldier who has died in combat since 9/11.  There are 6,736 American Flags, each serving as a memorial to our deceased veterans.  The display was erected this past week and will remain on this grove until 'Wednesday, November 13, 2013.  

Some of the 6,736 flags in memory of fallen veterans.

The Masonic Village is located in Elizabethtown, PA and was founded in 1910 to offer services to aging Freemasons and their spouses.  It is a 1,400 acre campus retirement community that no has more than 1,700 residents.  I got to talk to one of the residents today as I stood with camera in hand in front of the flag display.  He had helped erect all these flags last week in the Veterans Grove.  It had been laid out and marked with a can of spray paint where each flag would be placed.  

Securing one of the fallen flags.

He and his band of brothers placed the flags on the spots to make the moving landscape.  As we stood there viewing the display he noticed one that had fallen.  He excused himself and made his way through the aisles of flags to secure it.  He stood there looking over all of the flags and I knew it meant much more than securing that flag to this old vet.  I could see he was in deep thought as he surveyed the field for other fallen flags.  I waved to him as I headed to my car.  It certainly was a stirring sight and as the wind picked up the flags all blew in unison.  Couldn't think of a better way to honor our veterans on this Veterans Day!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.