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Over 7,500 American Flags Adorn Art Hill in St. Louis, MO in Memoriam of 9/11
Flags of Valor- Art Hill in Saint Louis, MO
Art Hill in St. Louis, Missouri, the home of our headquarters for AJ Adhesives, Inc. & Mid-America Packaging, underwent a dramatic transformation Sunday morning, turning its usual beautiful green hillside into a sea of red, white, and blue.
Hundreds of volunteers covered the Forest Park landmark with about 7,500 American flags — one for each of the nation’s men and women killed in military combat since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, as well as the 412 first responders who perished in the line of duty. The event is called Flags of Valor and is held on every fifth anniversary of the September 11th attacks. If one were to walk each row of flags, they’d cover about 11.5 miles.
Flags of Valor is a weeklong event held at Art Hill in Forest Park to honor the victims of 9/11, the first responders who lost their lives, and those who have made the ultimate sacrifice to keep our country safe fighting the War on Terror.
“Each and every flag in the War memorial will bear the name and photo of a hero who bravely served their country but never came home,” the organizers said in a press release.
“The flags will be placed in chronological order according to the date each of the Veterans lost their lives and will allow loved ones and visitors to walk through the massive display so they can easily find and honor each hero.”
Our very own Andy Schwartz, AJ & MAP President and CEO, is on the Advisory Board of Forest Park and is proud of the event that’s annually held. “Forest Park is a National Treasure, honoring the heroes and victims of 9/11 as well as the Service Members who have been lost in the war on terror is something we remember and pay tribute to. We have a great city, a great park, and great residents. It’s how we roll!”
More about this event:
How Long does it take to create?
Installing over 7,500 flags surprisingly only takes a few hours, planning begins a full year in advance and requires more than 500 volunteers working in well-organized teams of twenty. In total, this effort requires:
21 tons of material
11 miles of flag rows
10 acres
15,240 rubber bands
3,000 feet of plastic tubing
7,620 ten-foot poles
500 selfless volunteers
Who can attend?
People of all ages are welcome. There is an educational opportunity for young people to learn about the events that occurred on 9/11 and the War on Terror.
When can you come?
Forest Park is open from 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. You are welcome to come at any time during the park’s open hours.
To learn more about the event check out the Flags of Valor website or The Forest Park Forever website.
To see more images of the Flags of Valor at Forest Park Forever check out their Instagram here!