Flags return to Castaways Park to honor veterans
Many hands make light work, especially when the hands are young Marines and the task is honoring veterans.
The Exchange Club of Newport Harbor continued its tradition of installing 1,776 full-size U.S. flags along the path at Castaways Park on Wednesday, with help from dozens of Marines from Camp Pendleton and a group of young men from the nearby Mormon church.
The Field of Honor flag display usually commemorates Armed Forces Day, which is Saturday, but this year it will continue through Memorial Day.
The extended display means more patriotic programming at the park at 700 Dover Drive, with this weekend including a field trip for hundreds of area schoolchildren on Friday, a dedication ceremony at noon Saturday and a musical tribute at 1 p.m. Sunday.
Ed Romeo is a retired educator and Korean War-era Navy veteran who is part of the display’s planning committee. A fit 91 years old, he said he has walked the park’s hills enough to keep him young.
The flags, he said, honor the “sacrifice men and women make to keep our democracy going.”
People can sponsor a flag for $45 each. Proceeds benefit the Exchange Club’s scholarship and other charity programs. Visit nhexchange.net for more information.
Twitter: @Daily_PilotHD
UPDATES:
5:10 p.m.: This article was updated to say Sunday’s program will include a musical tribute.
This article was originally posted at 2:40 p.m.
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