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Flag display at Battlefield to honor veterans

The Monroe News - 10/19/2020

Oct. 19--The Monroe Exchange Club will hold a large "Flags of Honor" display with a minimum of 500 flags in early November as part of a Veterans Day observance at the River Raisin National Battlefield Park.

And the public can help expand the display by sponsoring a flag. The patriotic exhibit will be open to the public Nov. 6-15 at the park located at the corner of N. Dixie Hwy. and E. Elm Ave. The display will be lighted and open 24 hours so viewers can see it at night, organizers said.

The display is being held in cooperation with the battlefield park, said Frank Smith, president of the club.

"They're supporting us," Smith said recently. "The club will do the bulk of the work and the battlefield will assist. Mannik & Smith Group is arranging very precisely the lines and stakes in the ground."

The 3- by- 5- foot flags will fly from 10-foot-tall poles that will be placed in the ground, he said.

Barry Buschmann, senior vice president of Mannik & Smith, and Doug Chafin, president of First Merchants Bank, are co-chairing the exhibit for the 40- member club. Other club members serving on a display steering committee include Julie Harman, Jennifer Swope, Ashley O'Dwyer, Renee Warnimont and Conly Crossley. Scott Bentley, superintendent of the park, also serves on the panel.

A formal dedication will take place at 9 a.m.Nov. 7 at the display. Miss Monroe County Madalyn Poupard will sing the national anthem and God Bless America during the ceremony and Deacon Michael Stewart from St. Mary Catholic Church will give the invocation.

There will also be a special ceremony Nov. 11 honoring all veterans on Veterans Day, a national holiday. During the program, the names of all deceased Monroe County war veterans will be read aloud, with the exception of those who perished during the Civil War. Their names will be read at a closing ceremony set for 2 p. m. Nov. 15 for the flag display.

With the public's help, the display could expand to as many as 1,000 flags, Smith said. The club is offering various levels of sponsorships to post one or more flags at the site.

"Businesses and individuals are encouraged to use this opportunity to honor family, friends and loved ones who serve or have served in our nation's military," Smith said. "For as little as $ 35, people can honor someone by sponsoring a U.S. flag to be included in the display."

After the exhibit ends, persons sponsoring a flag can pick it up beginning Nov. 16 or have it mailed to them along with a certificate of recognition for an additional $5.

Other levels of flag sponsorships include:

-- Samaritan Supporter -- Buy a flag for $ 250 and receive recognition in the official program for the dedication and one flag and a certificate.

-- Guardian Supporter -- $500 and receive recognition in the program plus three flags and a certificate.

-- Protector -- $1,000 and receive five flags plus a certificate, logo or name on the Web site with a mention in the program.

-- Patron -- $2,500 and receive 10 flags with certificates, flag case for display, logo or name on Web site and a mention in the program.

-- Patriot -- $5,000 with media package available along with flag case for display, logo on Web site, 20 flags with certificates and a mention in the program.

Individuals can register for sponsorship at the Exchange Club Flags of Honor Web site at www.healingfield.org/event/monroemi20.

All money raised will be used to support local charities, especially those that work with abused children. The National Exchange Program of service is prevention on child abuse. The Exchange Club also supports local law enforcement efforts.

The club, the oldest service club in Monroe and one of the oldest clubs in the nation, will mark its 100th anniversary in March, 2021.

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