The Niceville Exchange Club and Air Force Armament Museum are asking for the return of flags taken from their Memorial Day display, with the Exchange Club reporting 101 flags worth more than $2,000 were removed.
- The Air Force Armament Museum posted on Facebook Sunday that flags were taken from the museum grounds during the Exchange Club’s annual Memorial Day U.S. Flag Display.
“This past week, our local Exchange Club put its annual Memorial Day U.S. Flag Display on the museum grounds. There was a sign saying, ‘Take a flag.’ This was meant for small hand-held U.S. flags that the club ran out of,” the museum posted. “Regrettably, their sign wasn’t taken down when their free flag inventory ran out.”
The Niceville Exchange Club reported that some flags were cut from poles, including those in front of a sign listing Florida service members who have died since Sept. 11, 2001.
- “We are asking for anyone who mistakenly took a flag from the field meant to honor those who have fallen, to return them,” the Exchange Club stated. “Service flags, including the poles, were taken.”
The Field of Valor event has been held for close to a decade, displaying more than 380 flags to recognize men and women from Florida who lost their lives in Iraq or Afghanistan since Sept. 11, 2001, and members of the 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne) killed since Aug. 30, 2021.
After Sept. 11, Exchange Club members felt compelled to honor the fallen in a way that would involve the entire community. Each sponsored flag included a tag with photos and information about the fallen service member, their branch of service, hometown and sponsor.
- The event previously took place at the Mullet Festival Fairgrounds but moved to the Air Force Armament Museum at Eglin Air Force Base to provide a more meaningful, visible and accessible venue for the public.
Each flag in the display measures 3 by 5 feet and is flown during Memorial Day weekend and the following week. The event aims to let the local community honor veterans who have served and are no longer living.
A portion of proceeds from the event benefits the Home for Heroes, which supports disabled military members in the local community by providing them homes. Both organizations ask that anyone who took a large flag please return it to the Air Force Armament Museum.
