Michael MacDonald
Herald Editor
For two decades, the Michigan Elks Field of Honor in Alma has given residents a way to recognize veterans, active-duty service members and others who have made a difference in their communities, turning the grounds each spring into a sea of American flags.
As preparations begin for the 21st annual display, community members are being invited to purchase 3-by-5-foot American flags for $25 to dedicate in memory or recognition.
This year’s tribute will be presented at 2 p.m. Sunday, May 3, at Alma Elks Lodge, 610 Wright Ave., with cancer victims and survivors named as the special honorees.
The dedication ceremony will begin with the National Anthem, followed by brief remarks from Michigan Elks state officers and Paul Kennedy, the Exalted Ruler of Alma Lodge #1400.
Members of the Forgotten Eagles motorcycle group will bring 10 flags for the Military Field and hand them to volunteers who will place them in the display. Anthems and drum rolls will accompany the placement of flags representing branches of the Armed Forces as well as medical personnel, police and firefighters.
The final tribute placed will be the Missing in Action/Prisoner of War flag, entering the field to the hymn “Amazing Grace.”
Members of the Alma VFW Color Guard will perform a 21-gun salute and play taps before the program concludes with the Pledge of Allegiance and the singing of “Proud to Be an American.”
Military vehicles are expected on site, as well as an Alma Fire Department ladder truck flying a large American flag.
The lodge will open at 11 a.m. for refreshments and conversation, with lunch served from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. ahead of the dedication.
The Field of Honor was started in 2006 by Alma residents Randy Boudreau and Elaine Helman-Boudreau, longtime Elks members. The idea came after they saw a patriotic display honoring victims of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks.
Preparing the grounds requires weeks of work before the dedication takes place. Organizers order American-made materials, coordinate volunteers and prepare the PVC sleeves used to hold each pole. Every tribute is tagged and numbered before volunteers place them in formation across the property.
Over the years, special recognitions have included veterans connected to World War I, World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War. Teachers, emergency medical personnel and individuals with special needs have also been highlighted in past programs.
The display will remain in place for several weeks before participants can retrieve their flags after the lodge’s Flag Day ceremony June 14.
Flag orders may be directed to Randy Boudreau at 989-506-6332 or rand1b@yahoo.com.