The Field Of Honor—500 American flags fly in formation—and a Civil War Living History Camp will be open to the public at no cost on Memorial Day weekend, May 24-27, at the south entrance of Spring Canyon Community Park, Fort Collins.
“Field Of Honor is a community celebration that honors our heroes—veterans, active military, first responders, medical workers, community leaders, teachers, and personal heroes,” states Michele Marquitz, president of the Fort Collins Breakfast Rotary that sponsors this event. “Field Of Honor is specifically designed so you can walk among the flags and read the medallions attached to the flags. Each medallion recognizes a specific hero and shares information about that hero.
“Field Of Honor provides an ideal place where we can educate future generations regarding the role real-life heroes play—or have played—in our lives.”
The Rotary-sponsored Civil War Living History Camp will bring the past to life, with knowledgeable Civil War historians demonstrating the tools, tactics, and day-to-day camp life of Civil War soldiers.
“The Civil War was filled with heroes—the known and the unknown,” states Jared Maddox with the C. CO. 6th U.S. Infantry Regiment Civil War, Sixth Infantry Reenactors Association. “Only a small fraction of any soldier’s time was spent in front-line combat. Instead, the vast majority of his existence revolved around the routines of camp life, which presented its own set of struggles and hardships, and the public will get a firsthand look at that daily life during this re-enactment.”
The public is also encouraged to read the short essays Poudre School District third and fourth graders penned about their heroes. The winning three essays will be highlighted near the Rotary booth, with all essays available to be read in binders.
Individuals wishing to acknowledge a hero with a medallion on a flag in the Field Of Honor can do so at www.rotaryfcbreakfast.org.
Funds raised through medallion sales, community supporters, and donations go to Fort Collins Breakfast Rotary Foundation to support local non-profits that provide services to veterans and first responders and benefit local and international service projects undertaken by Fort Collins Breakfast Rotary Foundation.
