Flags of Valor STL

Flags of Valor STL To commemorate the 25th anniversary since the September 11 terrorist attacks, more than 7,600 Flags of Valor will stand valiantly on Art Hill in St.

Louis’ Forest Park from September 5-13, 2026.

09/06/2026

We’re told David Sandbach, a detective with the bomb and arson squad, who has been playing the bagpipes since he was 10, will back every night at sunset. We hope so. ❤️

"Holli never wanted recognition, but she deserved every bit of it. She was, and always will be, my rock."Robert Bolinski...
09/05/2026

"Holli never wanted recognition, but she deserved every bit of it. She was, and always will be, my rock."

Robert Bolinski shares those words about his wife, Sgt. Holli Bolinski, who served in the U.S. Army. It's the kind of love that doesn't need a stage, but it gets one anyway.

This year, Sgt. Bolinski's flag will stand among 7,620 others on Art Hill, her name spoken and her story told to anyone who stops to read it. That's the whole point of this memorial: the people who never asked to be remembered are exactly the ones who deserve to be.

Come find Sgt. Bolinski's flag and honor her service, September 5-13 on Art Hill.

🔥 IT WAS HOTTTTT ON ART HILL TODAY! 🔥But these troopers, and true patriots, showed up and got it done.Our Flag Marking T...
09/05/2026

🔥 IT WAS HOTTTTT ON ART HILL TODAY! 🔥

But these troopers, and true patriots, showed up and got it done.

Our Flag Marking Team and sign installers from Grimco walked miles across Art Hill, carefully marking thousands of individual locations where the flags will be installed tomorrow. Each mark was placed seven feet apart, helping ensure all 7,620 flags will stand in straight, precise rows worthy of the heroes they represent. Thank you Castle Contracting, Stock & Associates, and everyone who showed up regardless of the heat.

And yes, that really is a kayak in the Grand Basin! Buoys were placed from the water to help precisely line up the flags along the curve of the Basin, where 412 flags will honor the first responders who lost their lives on September 11.

This was physically demanding work in some serious St. Louis heat, and this incredible crew never quit.

Thank you for sweating, serving and preparing the field with such care. Because of you, Art Hill is ready - and tomorrow, remembrance rises. 🇺🇸 See you tomorrow!!!

One last reminder before we get started: Installation Day is tomorrow.Flag installation begins at 7 a.m. and runs throug...
09/04/2026

One last reminder before we get started: Installation Day is tomorrow.

Flag installation begins at 7 a.m. and runs through roughly 10:30 a.m. Make sure these "dont' miss moments" are on your radar. You won't want to miss.

Parking is extremely limited, so carpool or rideshare if you're coming to watch. Bring your family. Bring your kids. Watch history happen on Art Hill. Public is welcome.

Meet the man behind one of our charity partners: Larry Eckhardt, better known as "Larry the Flagman."In 2006, Larry atte...
09/04/2026

Meet the man behind one of our charity partners: Larry Eckhardt, better known as "Larry the Flagman."

In 2006, Larry attended the funeral of a fallen soldier in his small Illinois hometown, and was struck by how little public recognition the moment received. So he bought 50 large American flags and lined the funeral route with them himself. That simple act of respect grew, over the years, into flags displayed at nearly 200 memorials for fallen service members and first responders across multiple states, funded and organized almost entirely by Larry.

Larry passed away in March 2020, but before he did, he chose someone to carry the mission forward: Jeff Hastings, now CEO of The Flagman's Mission, one of the five charity partners you'll find in the Charity Village at this year's memorial.

Their mission, in their own words: to honor the service, lives, and sacrifices of those who wear the uniform, including those who've made the ultimate sacrifice, through patriotic events, flag etiquette programming, and ceremonial honors at civic, military, and community events. That mission spans generations and backgrounds, serving all Americans regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, political affiliation, or sexual orientation, with a deep respect for country and those who protect it.

Larry started with 50 flags at one funeral. This September, 7,620 flags will stand on Art Hill because people like him believed remembrance shouldn't be quiet.

Meet The Flagman's Mission Continues in person at the Charity Village, September 5-13, or learn more at theflagmanmission.org.

Months before a single flag reaches Art Hill, the work of honoring America's fallen heroes has already begun for the Cit...
09/03/2026

Months before a single flag reaches Art Hill, the work of honoring America's fallen heroes has already begun for the City of Manchester, MO.

Since mid-to-late April, a dedicated volunteer team, including participants from the Manchester Veterans Commission, American Legion Post 208 Manchester,MO, along with other community volunteers spent multiple days carefully matching dog tags, photographs, and individual flag assignments, making sure every service member lost in the Global War on Terror is represented with the accuracy and respect they deserve. It's quiet, painstaking work done months before most of us ever set foot on Art Hill, and it's essential to everything that happens in September.

For so many visitors, this memorial's impact begins the moment they reach the top of Art Hill and take in thousands of flags stretching across the hillside, a view that, for anyone who lived through September 11, 2001, calls back exactly where they were standing when the news broke. That shared memory is why the rows stand tall and equidistant, why dog tags clink softly in the wind, and why visitors instinctively slow down and go quiet as they read the names.

None of that is possible without the hands that prepared it first. Thank you, City of Manchester volunteers, for the care you put into every dog tag, every photo, every flag, long before anyone else sees the result.

To honor St. Louis area veterans, Greater St. Louis Honor Flight provides an all-inclusive trip to Washington, D.C. so t...
09/03/2026

To honor St. Louis area veterans, Greater St. Louis Honor Flight provides an all-inclusive trip to Washington, D.C. so they can visit the memorials built in their honor.

Founded in 2008 as part of the national Honor Flight Network, the organization has flown more than 2,500 local veterans to D.C., completely free of charge, funded entirely by donations. Most of these veterans are in their 80s and 90s and no longer have the physical or mental stamina to make the trip on their own, and their families often lack the time or resources to take them. Priority goes first to WWII veterans and those who are terminally ill, then Korean War and Vietnam War veterans, with wheelchairs, oxygen support, and a personal guardian provided for every veteran who needs one.

In a single day, veterans visit the WWII, Korean War, and Vietnam memorials, Arlington National Cemetery's Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, the Lincoln Memorial, and more. A trip so many veterans and families describe, in their own words, as "the best day of my life."

For families, it's more than a flight. It's a cherished memory that lasts long after they land back home.

Meet Greater St. Louis Honor Flight in person at the Charity Village, September 5-13, or learn more and donate at gslhonorflight.org.

Address

200 North Taylor Avenue
Kirkwood, MO
63122

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