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'Flags 4 Freedom' honors local Kansas veterans

Posted at 3:05 PM, Jul 02, 2016
and last updated 2016-07-03 08:51:29-04

An annual patriotic display went up in Merriam on Saturday morning to honor veterans for the Fourth of July.

The Shawnee Mission VFW 10552 honored veterans by placing more than 900 American flags in downtown Shawnee and downtown Merriam. It's part of its annual "Flags 4 Freedom" event.

Fellow veterans and volunteers weathered the rain to participate in the annual event.

Serena Clark and Graci Gaunt are both in middle school, and got up at 5 a.m. Saturday morning so they could be ready to work.

"We want to honor the people who have served in the military for us. We just want to thank them," said Clark.

The team of volunteers worked in the rain for more than an hour but did not seem to mind. Some enjoyed the honks of drivers as they passed by.

"I hope that they're happy." said Gaunt. "There's so many people who've been honking twice, which I think means thank you."

The stars and stripes waving in the wind lead drivers to the Veterans' Tribute Park, where a sign representing each war greets spectators. Personalized dog tags to commemorate the sacrifice of individual soldiers are available and on display.

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