Avenue of Flags will be set up for 9/11

Hundreds of flags will be flying at Cape County Park North on Friday with the display of the Avenue of Flags.

Friday is observed in the U.S. as Patriot Day in memory of those killed in the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

More than 450 flags will be placed at the entrance of the county park that day, and volunteers are needed to help with set up and removal.

The day begins at 6:30 a.m. with the setup of the flags. Following at 7 a.m. will be a brief gathering that will include a color-guard presentation, singing of the national anthem, remarks on Patriot Day and the Avenue of Flags and a prayer by the Rev. Ron Watts.

They will be on display throughout the day for members of the public. Representatives from the local VFW also will have an informational tent where people can stop to ask questions and learn more about the Avenue of Flags.

Taking down the flags will begin about 5 p.m. Joe Wolsey, commander of VFW Post 3838 in Cape Girardeau, said volunteers are welcome to come by in the morning or afternoon to help.

"The more people we can get, the better," he said. "It's actually harder to take them down."

It takes only one person to put them up, but because there is a specific procedure for putting away the flags and the poles, removal requires three people.

The Avenue of Flags program is a coordinated effort between VFW Post 3838 and Cape Girardeau County.

srinehart@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3641

Pertinent address:

Cape County Park North, Cape Girardeau, Mo.