Middletown's Field Of Flags Ceremony Will Be This Saturday

MIDDLETOWN, NJ — This Saturday, Westminster Presbyterian Church in Middletown will have its Field of Flags ceremony to honor all U.S. military veterans.

The church does this every November and this is the thirteenth consecutive year they have held the ceremony. Fox News' Pete Hegseth, who lives locally, was the keynote speaker last year.

All are invited to attend the public ceremony, which will begin at 12 noon on the church lawn.

Each of the 5,800 flags placed on the lawn this year represents an American service member killed during the Vietnam War. Approximately 58,000 American soldiers were killed in Vietnam, and each flag represents 10 soldiers.

It is a visually striking and patriotic reminder of the high cost of war. Last year, the church had 7,053 flags on its lawn, representing a U.S. service member killed in the wars in in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Church members and Middletown residents have been working since Oct. 15 to place the flags.

The Field of Flags will remain standing until November 12. November 11 is Veterans Day.

Westminster will also host the Veterans and Athletes United Foundation Memorial this year. The Global War on Terror (GWOT) Memorial Flag displayed on the Church's Great Lawn honors over 7,000 GWOT fallen heroes and gold star families.

The keynote speaker this year is Captain Edward Callahan, Commander at Naval Weapons Station Earle. Remarks will also be offered by Dennis Beauregard, President of Vietnam Veterans of America NJ Shore Area Chapter 12. Music will be provided by Dennis Anderson and bagpipe music by piper Mike Hannigan.

There will be color guard presentations from the Naval Weapons Station Earle and a greetings from Middletown Mayor Tony Perry and this area's Assemblyman Gerry Scharfenberger.