“Stand for the flag”

We received a message from Ms. Nancy Ojeda that a new statue had been placed at Five Points. The moment I saw it, my heart skipped a beat.

A hero stands in salute above the words, “Stand for the Flag,” facing the monument—facing the heroes raising the flag at Iwo Jima, facing the silhouette of a fallen warrior, and for me, it feels even more personal. He stands in honor, saluting the flag draped across our son’s casket.

It stopped me in my tracks.

There are no words big enough to fully express what it means to feel your child remembered in a space like this. To see a community continue to show up with compassion, respect, and love—even years later—is something we will never take for granted.

Thank you to Ms. Nancy for sharing this with us, and to everyone who had a hand in creating this tribute. It means more than you could ever know. ❤️🤍💙