Deadline Approaching to Obtain 'Field of Honor' Flag

This Friday, Sept. 30, is the deadline to purchase one of the "Field of Honor" flags to be placed alongside the municipal building in Basking Ridge center to honor veterans for this Veteran’s Day.

A dedication of the flags, which would be placed in precise rows on the lawn of the Bernards Township Municipal Building at 1 Collyer Lane, is scheduled for noon on Sunday, Nov. 6, according to announcements from the township and the township Beautification Task Force.

The citizen task force is organizing the display of flags, that would continue over a two-week period. "People all over town have been purchasing flags to honor a family member, friend, or veterans in general, and the display will be quite extraordinary," Laura Begg, a Beautification Task Force member, said on Sunday.

The “Field of Honor” flags, costing $30, measure three by five feet in size, and are designed to be mounted on a six-foot pole alongside the municipal building, according to information from the township.

Sale of the flags began at last May's Charter Day celebration. Flags also may be purchased online at the township website, where detailed information and a printable application can be found, according to the township.

Each flag will have a yellow ribbon hand printed with the dedication chosen by the purchaser, Begg said.

The flags are scheduled to be set up at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 5, with their removal set for two weeks later, at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 19.

The honor field then will be displayed for two weeks, according to information from the township. "You may pick up your flag at the conclusion of the two weeks [at 10 a.m. on Nov. 19] or donate it at that time," Begg said in a township release.

Volunteers are needed to help prepare the display of flags. Volunteer opportunities are available by email request. Begg also may be contacted at that email for additional information on the flags.

The field of American Flags is intended to recognize and show honor to the veterans who have dedicated themselves to the protection of our freedom, according to the sponsorship of the Beautification Task Force.

All proceeds will be earmarked for Community Hope, a Morris County-based non-profit that operates a program for homeless and recovering veterans at the Lyons campus of  the Veterans Administration N.J. Health Care System in the township, the release said.

There is a limit of 200 flags available for purchase. The flags will be sold until they run out, according to earlier information from the township.

“The Beautification Task Force is looking forward with great anticipation to this event in the fall," Begg said earlier in the spring. "What a lovely way to honor our veterans in time of war, support a local cause, and bring the community as a whole together than with projects such as this one,” she said.

“Creating a common goal such as this helps to bring our community together, and visually, it will be a beautiful testament to our support for the greater issues that touch all our lives," Begg said.

Information regarding Community Hope may be found at that organization's website.