The Vinton Veterans Outreach Committee, Vinton Police Dept., Vinton Public Works, town
staff, the non-profit Sirens and Salutes, and several volunteers spent May 9 installing the Field of
Honor at the Vinton War Memorial. This tradition began last fall with Veterans Day and is now
continuing in observance of Memorial Day.
Honor
According to the Outreach Committee, “The Vinton Field of Honor is made up of a panorama of
United States flags flying in solemn formation atop eight-foot poles to honor our fallen heroes.
Each U.S. flag represents an individual and tells a story.”
The first Field of Honor consisted of 100 flags; this time there are 300 flags flying on the front
lawn of the War Memorial, which was originally built to honor those who made the ultimate
sacrifice in World War II. There are also flags flying near the portico representing each branch of
the military service.
Vinton Public Works employees placed the poles on the field in even rows to support the flags.
The Veterans Outreach Committee said, “The Field of Honor is being held in a patriotic tribute
to honor our fallen heroes within both our First Responder and Military communities.
“The committee was officially established in January 2024 to honor and support employee and
town veterans through dedicated advocacy, resources, and community engagement. Their
purpose is to ensure that every veteran feels appreciated, valued, and supported long after their
service to our nation has ended. The Town of Vinton has been a designated Virginia Values
Veterans Employer since 2015, with the message to future employees that “Vinton Values
Veterans!”
The original Field of Honor was envisioned by the committee which included town employees
Donna Collins, Mandy Atkins, Amanda Payne, Police Cpl. Jesse Dibble, and Police Chief
Fabricio Drumond, and now has added Tiffany Stewart.
At the first Field of Honor observance, Police Chief Drumond said, “To our veterans and service
members, while a ‘thank you’ can seem mechanical at times, we’ll continue to say it; but with us,
in our town, with today’s presentation of the Field of Honor, we commence on our path to put
our ‘thank you’ into action. So, as you look at each flag today in the Field of Honor, carefully
woven into each American flag is the sacrifice of love of country from each and every veteran.”
The Field of Honor will be up through the month of May. To make a donation or purchase a flag,
visit https://www.healingfield.org/event/vinton-va/ . Proceeds go to Shield Chaplaincy, a non- profit established in 2018 which works with law enforcement officers to help them cope with
trauma experienced on the job.
assisted in the installation.
