The Airborne and Special Operation Museum and the Cool Spring Downtown District present the 17th Annual 2024 Field of Honor. The field is open from Tuesday, Sept. 10 through Sunday, Nov. 17.
“This is the 17th year that the museum has hosted the Field of Honor,” said Renee Lane, executive director of the Airborne and Special Operations Museum Foundation. “Over the years it has taken different tactics to find concepts for how the field was laid out, how many flags around the field and that sort of thing.”
This year there will be approximately 550 flags displayed on the Field of Honor.
“It is visible from Bragg Boulevard that runs along the side of the museum’s property and the North Carolina Veteran’s Park,” said Lane. “We also have 49 POW/MIA flags that will be part of the Field of Honor this year.”
The field opened on Sept. 10, and on Sept. 9, there were 32 volunteers along with staff from Fayetteville Parks and Recreation who assisted with gridding the field, marking where the flags will be in the ground and installing the rebar that holds the flag poles.
“Once that is completed, the flags are added row by row by row and then tagged row by row by row,” said Lane. “It is a tedious process, but it is the only way that we have found over the years that works best.”
She added, “The flag tags are made of waterproof material with the names of the honoree and sponsor on the flag.”
The Field of Honor was started 17 years ago when a community member visited a similar field in the Midwest.
“The individual decided that Fayetteville needs to have a Field of Honor because we are a patriotic city and an All-American City,” said Lane. “It is a national program and we do this effort in conjunction with the Cool Spring District who leads the event.”
Lane added, “We are the setting for the Field of Honor and we work together in selling flags, having companies sponsor flags and providing the support that is needed to make the field what it is today.”
The significant meaning of the Field of Honor is a profound reminder of the dedicated men and women who sacrificed and gave their lives for our country.
“It really is a solemn place because it does honor and provide respite for families who have lost a loved one that may have been killed in action,” said Lane. “It provides families an opportunity to honor a loved one who is either a soldier, military family member or someone in the community who is connected to the military or supports the military in some way, shape or form,” she said. “We see the Field of Honor as a place to honor our nation’s best and we feel that the public should look at it as that as well.”
The Airborne and Special Operations Museum Foundation is a 501 3(c) nonprofit organization and is set up to fundraise and provide outreach for the Army museum. It was established in 1992 by the late General James Lindsay.
“He had an idea to combine the Airborne and Special Operations Units under one roof and provide a way for the public to educate themselves on the missions that these men and women have performed since the end of World War I until present day,” said Lane. “Through his initiative and willingness to work with the local community, we were able to open this museum in August 2000, twenty-four years ago.”
Lane added, “We have programs every month that the public is invited to attend and we want to keep the storyline of the museum, Airborne and Special Operations Unit Since The End of World War I to Present Day.”
“A big thanks to our volunteers from Fort Liberty, the community and Parks and Recreation for helping us pull the display together,” said Lane. “We highly discourage portrait or group photography that is used for retail or commercial purposes.”
For more information or questions call 910-643-2778.

(Photo: The 2024 Field of Honor at the Airborne and Special Operations Museum recognizes those soldiers who have given their lives in the line of duty. Photo by Alyson Hansen)