Review of Flags of Valor

 

2021 Display on Art Hill, St. Louis Missouri

St. Louis Missouri has a wonderfully moving display on Art Hill that commemorates those who died on 9/11 and those who have died in the war on terror in the 20 years since 2001.  

This display first was put up on the 10th anniversary of 9/11 and then again on the 15th anniversary and now on the 20th anniversary.  I have been privileged to view the display each of these times and find it to be a very  emotional experience.  Here is a photo I took this year.

History of Flags of Valor

Here is a quote from the website on the history of Flags of Valor. 

The first display of Flags of Valor in St. Louis was for the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.  In that display 2977 flags were placed on Art Hill.  These flags represented the individuals who lost their lives in the twin towers attack, the Pentagon attack, and on Flight 93, and the first responders who gave their lives to save others.

2016 Display

On the 15th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks the display on Art Hill honored those 6869 service members who lost their lives in the following operations: Enduring Freedom, New Dawn, Iraqi Freedom, Inherent Resolve, and Freedom's Sentinel.

2021 Display

In 2021the Flags of Valor organization has refined their purpose beyond remembering to educating.  With a new generation that wasn't even born when 9/11 occured it is important to educate on what has happened and what we must always remember.  This years display is three fold.

1.   Remembering the Victims of the 9/11 Attacks

To remember the 9/11 victims, there are 6 oversized informational boards.  Three are on each side of the Grand Basin.  These boards visualize 2,564 victims of the 9/11 attacks.

There is also a flag with the names of all of the victims.

2.  Remember the First Responders who Died

There are 413 flags above the Grand Basin to remember the first responders who made the ultimate sacrifice.

3.  Remembering Service Members Who Died during the War on terror since 9/11/2001

There are more than 7000 3' by 5' American Flags on the hill below the St. Louis Art Museum.  Each flag represents of service member who has died since 9/11/2001 in the War on Terror.  Each flag is marked with an informational dog tag and a photo of the service member.

Information for this article was gathered from the Flags of Valor website at Flags of Valor STL  All photos were taken by Mary Beth Granger.

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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Get Ready for Canada 150 Celebrations with these Fun Party Suggestions

Canada Day Party Ideas

Do You Have Your Canada 150 Flag, Decorations, T-Shirts or a even a Canada 150 Dress?

The fireworks, the food, the flags, the t-shirts, the smiles, family and Canadian pride and you're all set for the big day.

Did You Know there's an Official Flag for Canada Day?

Nineteen year old Ariana Cuvin, a student in the University of Waterloo's global business and digital arts program designed the sesquicentennial official emblem.

Cuvin's design was chosen as Canada's emblem because of it's simple reflection of the country's diversity and unity.

The emblem consists of 13 multiple colored diamonds that form a Maple Leaf. The four original provinces of Canada (Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia) are represented at the diamond's base, while the additional diamonds represent the rest of Canada's provinces and territories.

Did You Know that each Canadian Province Joined Confederation at Various Different Dates?

1867 Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia
1870 Manitoba, Northwest Territories
1871 British Columbia
1873 Prince Edward Island
1898 Yukon Territory
1905 Alberta, Saskatchewan
1949 Newfoundland and Labrador
1999 Nunavut

"Take a Peek at the Canada 150 Flag Emblem" 

If you're hosting a party, you'll want to see the T-Shirt choices along with this very creative Canada 150 Bodycon dress featured here! It doesn't end there .... check out some of the original Canada Day party suggestions - Party Ideas for the guests and decor:

1) Give your guests traditional Canadian maple syrup from Quebec, or use them as prizes for those wacky party games.

2) Feature Canada 150 Soy Candles around the Yard

3) What's a party without Canada 150 balloons

4) Put up Canada 150 Garland around the room or yard

5) Feature a handcrafted Canada 'Home' Sign

6) Greet guests with a Canada 150 Wreath on the front door

7) Have a Unique Canada 150 Felt Banner made to give out as a grand party game prize

"View the above Canada 150 Party Suggestions"

Canada, have a party, and celebrate 150 years of this great land we love and call home.

But First....

Watch 65 Hours of Footage submitted by Canadians on Why they Love Canada in a Creative 2 Minute Video:

"Happy Birthday Canada"

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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Review of Patriotic Photographs

I love to capture images of the American flag in my photographs.  The photograph above shows the flag flying on my house on Memorial Day.  The photo is taken from my front porch where I was sitting and enjoying the beautiful day.  The flag always gives me a feeling of patriotism and thankfulness for the freedoms we enjoy in the USA.

On this page I will share with you my photographs of the flag and other images that remind me of our freedom as Americans.

The Flag is a Symbol of Patriotism

Here are some interesting facts I found about the American Flag when searching online.

• The American Flag, as it is called today was first called the "Stars and Stripes" when it was  approved in 1777.
• The original flag had 13 stripes and 13 stars.  One for each of the 13 colonies.
• Today's flag still carries the 13 stripes for the original colonies but it now has 50 stars.  One for each state in the union.
• There are several myths about the designer of the American flag.  The journals of the Continental congress show that the designer was Francis Hopkinson, a Congressman and patriot.
• Today the original flag can be found at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington D. C.

The Flag Used as a 9/11 Remembrance

The flags in the photo above were part of a remembrance display that the city of St. Louis hosted on the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 tragedy.  The hill below the St. Louis Art Museum was covered with flags.  One flag for each person that lost their life in the 9/11 attacks.

I visited the display with a few friends and was moved by the solemn beauty of the flags flying in remembrance of those who lost their lives.  

Flags Flying in Public Places

The American flag is flown in many public and private places.  It is a symbol of our country that I enjoy photographing.  The photograph below was taken at Tawas Point lighthouse in Michigan.  It was a slightly windy day and I moved around and took several shots to capture the flag in front of the lighthouse.

Tawas Point Lighthouse

The above photo was taken in Canada just across the St. Clair river from Ft.  Gratiot, Michigan.  I had crossed the river to get a better view of the lighthouse and found these two flags one Canadian and one American on the boardwalk along the river.  I love the way the seem to symbolize a sense of unity between the countries.

O'Fallon, Missouri Veterans Memorial

Another symbol of patriotism is the many veterans memorials found throughout our land.  They show the honor and respect we have those who sacrificed themselves for our county.  We have a unique memorial in the town that I live in, O'Fallon.  It depicts pairs of cast bronze boots positioned as though marching.  Called the Veterans Memorial Walk it was dedicated in 2001 as a place to honor soldiers both past and present.  

Monuments are Symbols of Patriotism

There are many monuments throughout the country that are seen as symbols of our history and patriotism.  This is a photo I took of the Washington Monument in Washington D. C.  Note the circle of flags at the base of the monument.

Enjoy Patriotic Gifts from my Photographs

Reversible American Flag Throw Pillow by mbgphoto
See other pillows.

Celebrate Card by mbgphoto
Look at American flag Cards online at Zazzle.com

Flags at Art Hill-9-11 Coffee Mug by mbgphoto
Design your own personal coffee mugs online at Zazzle.

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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