Old glory in all her glory: 2,000 flags fly in Wheaton

On one evening, bagpipers march between uniform rows of American flags planted in a Wheaton soccer field.

On another, a high school student plays the trumpet in a sea of red, white and blue.

But sometimes there is no music, just the sound of 2,000 crisp American flags waving in the wind.

The Field of Honor creates a stirring display of patriotism at Seven Gables Park for five days through the Fourth of July. Families leave handwritten placards around 8-foot-tall flagpoles in honor of their loved ones: veterans, active-duty military members and hometown heroes.

Rudy Keller, a retired high school principal, makes it his mission to honor their stories with each flag posted in precise rows.

Keller works with hundreds of volunteers, an engineering and surveying firm and the Wheaton Park District to blanket the soccer field with the stars and stripes.

The display also raises funds for the Warrenville American Legion Post 589. People may purchase a flag for $35 and dedicate it to someone who has served. Last year, 750 flags were sold.