Field of Honor Flags to Return

By Pam Robinson

An array of American flags will fly again on the front lawn of Huntington Town Hall, starting Monday.

The Field of Honor flags, which honor American veterans, will remain on display until Dec. 8. 

In the past, they had been removed after Thanksgiving.    

A map will help persons locate the flag they have purchased that bears their honoree’s name.  Proceeds from the project will be used to send children of deployed service members to Kiwanis Camp, a weeklong summer camp upstate.

“The Field of Honor has become an institution at Town Hall, as much a sign of Fall as leaves turning color on the trees,” Huntington Supervisor Frank P. Petrone said. “The large participation demonstrates how much Huntingtonians appreciate those who serve our country and those who have served.” 

As in the past, purchasers will be able to pick up their flags at a reception to be held in January, or afterward in the Town Hall lobby. For persons who do not wish to keep their flag, the Kiwanis will arrange for an appropriate donation, according to Huntington Kiwanis president Chris Barth. The club is also considering a large, collective flag as an alternative for donors, Barth said.

“We know that people wish to continue supporting the program but do not have need for another flag,” Barth said. “In those cases, the Kiwanis is only too happy to provide a collective flag that they can be part of or find a worthy home for a flag they have purchased.”  

For the third consecutive year, the Kiwanis will also be holding their Big 8 10k Run/5k Walk on Saturday, October 19, beginning and ending at Town Hall. Proceeds raised from that event will go toward Kiwanis International’s Eliminate Project, an effort to eliminate maternal and neonatal tetanus in Third World countries. 

 Persons seeking information about the Field of Honor or the Big 10k Run should contact former Huntington Kiwanis president Barry Turk at 631-559-9171 or bturk182@aol.com.