Founded in 2004, the Field of
Heroes is a community volunteer project. The materials
required for its production are all donated. That includes
everything from the wood, paint, lamination of the plaques,
lights, portable toilets, to the metal connectors, signs and
all additional needs.
As the
only
Memorial Day tribute of it's kind in the nation, the
Field of Heroes is quite unique. It first began to
memorialize the U.S. Casualties in Iraq and Afghanistan.
A small cross, the
accepted worldwide casualty symbol, is put up for each
soldier’s death. Each cross is painted white. On the cross
arm is placed a Name Tag. On each Name Tag there is the
Casualty Number, Name and Rank. The white crosses are then
set in the ground, properly spaced, as in Arlington National
Cemetery.
To emphasize the loss
of our soldiers from the State of Idaho, all those
casualties were given another white cross, doubling the size
of the original one. On those nine larger crosses a Plaque
was put on the cross arm. On each Plaque there is the
Casualty Number, Name, Rank, Age, Branch of Service, Unit,
Cause of Death, Location and Hometown. Family members and
friends decorated those crosses with flowers, mementos and
notes.
What is amazing are all the
volunteers who come out to make the crosses and then put
them up with exact precision. These include old veterans,
Boy Scouts, Veteran Bikers and kids out of school. Also,
professionals who take time from their workday to come out,
housewives and just regular patriotic citizens who take the
time and wish this completed correctly. Other volunteers
include the local law enforcement and members of our local
National Guard and Reserve Units, some of who have already
served in Iraq. They wish to see this done, knowing that
they can voluntarily contribute. They volunteer to come out
in all kinds of weather to make the tribute perfect.
I have had it
repeated so many times, that now I know it is true. They
say, “I have been out there in either the snow, rain,
hailstorms, or ungodly heat. I have bent over so many times
on my knees that I couldn’t get up without help. But,
looking at this now that it is finished, I have never been
so proud of doing anything else in my whole life!”
John Rogers the creator of the
Field of Heroes
Timeline:
-
In 2004, the
Field of Heroes was first presented on
Veterans Day, 11 November by The Yellow
Ribbon Campaign under the direction of John
Rogers, a Vietnam Veteran who wanted to help
others understand the cost of freedom. At
that time there were 153 casualties in
Afghanistan and 1,178 casualties in Iraq.
-
In 2005, the
Field of Heroes was presented at the POW*MIA
Awareness Rally in the Bannock County
Fairgrounds at the end of July. It was
during this year the Field of Heroes added a
recognition of the ten POW*MIAs from the
State of Idaho from Vietnam.
-
In 2006, the
Field of Heroes was moved to the Century
High School Soccer Field, south of Pocatello
and was opened for public viewing during the
Memorial Day Holiday weekend at the end of
May.
-
In 2007, the
Library of Congress, Veterans History
Project asked for a video chronicle of the
entire event. Videos, photos and interviews
on subjects such as making the crosses,
setting the crosses in the ground, showing
the days when open to the public and finally
the removal and storage of the crosses until
the next year was made.
-
In 2010, due
to the sheer size and the amount of
organization this annual event requires,
John Rogers turned the field and its
construction over to the Bannock County
Commissioners’. It was the desire of the
Commissioners’ that this tribute continue in
the spirit which it started and continued to
utilize all those who have participated in
the past to make sure this stays a community
wide event.
-
The Idaho
Field of Heroes Memorial now has a full
Board of Directors who volunteer their time
to organize and carry out the project. The
Board consists of representatives from each
of the Congressionally recognized Veteran
Service Organizations (VSO’s), the local
Army Reserve and National Guard units, and
the Yellow Ribbon Campaign of Idaho who
started the Field of Heroes in 2004
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