Field of Honor marks 11th year with America250 tribute, 1,000 flags
Every flag has a reason for being there. Some honor service. Some honor loss. Some honor survival. Put them all together, and River Landing Drive becomes something closer to a living memorial than a display.
That is the idea behind the Exchange Club of Daniel Island’s Field of Honor, returning this summer for its 11th year from June 13 through July 5.
Once again, 1,000 American flags will stand in neat rows, each one dedicated to a personal hero: veterans, active-duty military, first responders, teachers, cancer fighters, and others whose impact is felt in everyday lives.
Starting in 2016 with just a few hundred flags, the event has grown into one of the island’s most recognizable traditions, says Ron Zumstein, who leads the project.
“Over the 11 years, the Field of Honor has grown from 275 flags in 2016 to 1,000 flags the last three years,” Zumstein said. “The Exchange Club dedicates about 200 flags to our local first responders and veterans at the island's retirement centers. The growth of the field has come from the increase in flags purchased by residents and visitors to honor their heroes. For me, it is really special to run across someone at the field visiting their flag to take a picture and send it to their hero or family.”
Each flag carries a personal connection, and Zumstein said that’s what gives the installation its lasting impact year after year.
“There is a story around every dedicated flag. It is really special to have someone share their hero's story.”
This year’s Field of Honor also comes during a major national milestone: America’s 250th anniversary. To mark the occasion, the Exchange Club is adding an America250 display featuring all 26 official flags flown throughout U.S. history, along with historical notes for each and a detailed artistic rendering of the Declaration of Independence.
“The fact that this year marks our 250th year as a nation is special,” Zumstein said. “I remember our nation's bicentennial in 1976 as a kid. It was exciting and a celebrated event across our country. It rekindled the ‘Spirit of ’76’ and brought us closer together as a nation. I hope that this year's 250th anniversary also rekindles the ‘Spirit of ’76’ across our nation and unites us further.”
Zumstein said the display is also meant to highlight continuity through history. “I hope people realize that, as a nation, we have grown from the 13 colonies to our current 50 states in 250 years, and all that time we have been under the same set of beliefs and principles as defined by our constitution,” he said.
The America250 exhibit is currently being displayed at Guggenheim Park through June 13 before moving to 210 River Landing Drive for the Field of Honor.
Proceeds from the Field of Honor benefit local organizations supporting veterans, including Friends of Fisher House Charleston, One80 Place, and Tri-County Veterans Support Network.
Admission is free, and visitors are encouraged to walk the field, read the dedications, and take in what the flags represent: individually and together.