Healing Field honors military, veterans with 2,019 flags in Naperville

With one veteran in mind or many, with one moment of military history in their thoughts or an entire era, visitors are paying respects to the nation's service members this week at the Healing Field of Honor in Naperville.

The free display of patriotism will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. until Veterans Day at 443 Aurora Ave., offering anyone who stops by the chance to take in the spectacle of 2,019 American flags and give a moment of thanks.

Flags, some of them tagged for specific military members or veterans, line Rotary Hill along the downtown Riverwalk in a neat arrangement fashioned Sunday afternoon by volunteers. Snow last Wednesday and Thursday delayed installation of the field by two days, but organizers with a citizen committee and the Naperville Park District said the field's purpose remains unchanged.

The Healing Field, the fourth such display in Naperville since 2009, has a theme of "Remembering a Century of Heroes and Heritage."

Milestones to be observed include the 100th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Versailles, which effectively ended World War I; the 100th anniversary of the formation of the American Legion; and the 75th anniversary of Judd Kendall VFW Post 3873 in Naperville.

Visitors can sponsor a flag for $40 for pickup or $47 for delivery. Sponsorships and other donations will benefit Leap of Faith, a program of the Naperville-based nonprofit Operation Support Our Troops - America that helps families who have lost a military service member.

For details about the Healing Field, which is part of a national program run by the Colonial Flag Foundation, visit https://www.healingfield.org/naperville19/.