Liberty students help install 1,000-flag Field of Honor display in honor of military, first responders

On Sept. 5, Liberty University Air Force ROTC and Army ROTC cadets joined students and staff from various campus clubs that support the military to help set up 1,000 American flags for the annual Field of Honor in Lynchburg, Va., which pays tribute to all members of the U.S. Armed Forces and first responders serving across the U.S. and around the world.

The Field of Honor, on display at the Automated Conveyor Systems grounds along Graves Mill Road through Sept. 19, is presented by the Rotary Club of Forest. The project started in 2017 to honor the healthcare workers, military, veterans, and victims and first responders of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. People can donate to sponsor a flag in honor of a hero of their choosing, and the heroes’ names are attached to the flags. This year’s special honorees are firefighters, meaning if a donor did not have a particular hero to honor, they could sponsor a flag for an area firefighter. All 1,000 flags have sponsors. The donations go to support community projects with over 90 local nonprofits.

Students from the Association of Military Osteopathic Physicians and Surgeons (a Liberty University College of Osteopathic Medicine club) and leaders and members of Liberty’s Students Behind our Military club and Student Veterans Association also participated in the installation.

Virginia National Guard and Navy veteran Spc. Christian J. Wells, student member of SVA, said installing the flags was rewarding: “After the work was done and seeing a wave of American flags, it was a feeling of being awestruck.”

OMS-II Peyton Mitchell, a member of AMOPS, is in the process of joining the Army Reserves and plans to be a physician after her residency.

“As someone that’s joining the Armed Forces, it’s nice to give back and help others,” she said. “At the end of the day, we were all there for the same cause: our country.”

“Taking part in this event allows us to show gratitude to those who have served before us while reminding us of the responsibility we carry to be ready to answer the same call in our futures,” added Cadet Luke Breneman on behalf of the AFROTC Day Wing’s Service and Outreach team. “It is not only a way to honor others before us but also an opportunity to serve our community and live out the values we are training to embody as future members of our Air and Space Forces.”

Breneman said events like Field of Honor emulate the exhortation the Apostle Paul gives in the book of Philippians to reflect humility and count others more significant than yourself.

“As we train and prepare to enter the service, we are reminded that we aren’t just serving the country but also the Lord as Champions for Christ,” he said. “By participating in events like this, we embody the service-before-self mindset that Christ taught His followers.”

Shannon Shaw, volunteer chair of the Field of Honor, said they could not have done the installation without the support of the Liberty students.

“They were so willing and helpful, happy to pitch in wherever was needed, very respectful, and hard-working with a wonderful attitude,” she said. “It was a pleasure having them. We want them back every year; they were the backbone of most of the major work that evening.”

The Rotary Club of Forest hosted an opening ceremony at the Field of Honor on Sunday and will also hold a 9/11 Sunset Remembrance Ceremony on Thursday at 6:30 p.m. (6 Millrace Dr., Lynchburg, Va.). Liberty University Associate Professor and Director of National Security and Intelligence Programs U.S. Navy Rear Adm. (Ret.) Tony Cothron will be the keynote speaker. The public is invited to visit the Field of Honor through Sept. 19, with taps sounded daily at 7 p.m.