MDJ EDITORIAL: Want to show your patriotism? Here's how

If you didn’t get out to the 9/11 Field of Flags at Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park, you still have a chance to take part in one of the largest displays of patriotism in the nation.

The 2,977-flag display (one flag representing each of the lives lost in the attacks on the U.S. in 2001) was installed Sept. 4, a project of the Kiwanis Club of Marietta that marks the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks every five years.

The conundrum for Kiwanians is what to do with the nearly 3,000 flags and how to cover the $60,000 costs of putting on the event. And this is where patriots can help by purchasing an authentic 9/11 Field of Flags flag.

The 9/11 Field of Flags project began in 2006 to commemorate the five-year anniversary of the attacks of Sept. 11. Since the inaugural event, the club has repeated it every five years, in 2006, 2011, 2016 and again this year. (Thirteen flags in honor of the military killed in the final days of the U.S. withdrawal of Afghanistan were added this year.)

It’s a multi-phase project requiring drill-pressing, zip-tying, rebar-driving, pole-installing and flag-marching. After months of planning and preparation, club members and several hundred community volunteers paraded the flags down Kennesaw Avenue and installed them onto the battlefield park Sept. 4.

The finished project — nearly 3,000 Old Glories flying over the nine-acre open lawn at KMNB Park along Stilesboro Road — offered breathtaking views. The flags, arranged in perfect grid format, created a heart-stirring sea of red, white and blue. The scene was just as impressive at night, when spotlights illuminated the stars and stripes.

An anniversary ceremony was held the morning of 9/11. This year’s featured speaker was retired New York Fire Department Capt. James D’Avolio. In an emotional speech from the foot of Kennesaw Mountain and facing the Field of Flags, D’Avolio gave his first-hand account of the chaos at ground zero, the loss of his firefighting brothers and the fallout from the deadliest attack by a foreign adversary on U.S. soil.

The service also featured remarks by members of the club; a presentation of colors by the Marietta Fire Department Color Guard; renditions of the national anthem, God Bless America and Amazing Grace; and a 21-gun salute. Speaking or recognized were the Kiwanis Field of Flags co-chairs Frank Mims, Michelle Cooper Kelly and Jamie Vann.

The Kiwanis Club of Marietta is truly a purveyor of patriotism. Beyond the Field of Flags, these Kiwanians have another flag initiative that began nearly 25 years ago. What has become known simply as the “Flag Project” allows Marietta residents to show their patriotism on six nationally recognized holidays each year. For $25 per year per flag, a Kiwanis volunteer will come to your home or business, put up your flag(s) a few days before the holiday and come back a few days later to take them down. After the expenses of replacing worn flags and bent poles, all proceeds support youth service projects. A real win-win: the city shows its love of country and dollars earned help the next generation.

If you’ve driven around the city during any of these six holidays, you’ll find the American flag everywhere. Lining the loop, billowing along Roswell Street, flapping in the breeze along streets and sidewalks and adorning the front lawns of many merchants. The current flag count for this initiative is 1,750, which makes a clear statement to any visitor: This is one patriotic town.

The two Kiwanis flag programs feed off each other. Some worn or torn “holiday flags” are replaced by “9/11 flags,” but most are sold to cover the $60,000 costs of the 9/11 event.

As of this writing, just over 1,000 flags have been sold. That means nearly 2,000 are still available. Purchasers can pick up their flag(s), have them delivered or buy and donate them back to the club. Price to own an authentic 9/11 Field of Flags flag is $30, four flags for $100. The club will even ship your flags to you for a modest additional charge.

To buy or sponsor a flag, go to 911fieldofflags.com or ask any member of the Kiwanis Club of Marietta. Flags will also be on sale at First United Methodist Church on Saturday, Sept. 25, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Consider that supporting the club with these initiatives ensures the Kiwanians can host the 9/11 project again in 2026, helps fund its youth programs, benefits its holiday Flag Project and allows contributors to put their patriotism front and center at their home or business.

NOTE: For those who already supported the club and its cause by purchasing one of the 9/11 flags, here are instructions from the Kiwanians: Prepaid flag pick-up is from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sept. 25 at First United Methodist Church, 56 Whitlock Ave. If you haven’t ordered your flag, they can be purchased at that time and location.

A tip of the cap to the Kiwanis Club of Marietta, for taking on both these flag projects and letting patriotism shine throughout our community.