Gresham to Honor Fallen Service Members with Field of Flags Memorial in September

Gresham will host a 9/11 Honor and Remember Gold Star Families Memorial next month, placing a field of flags at the Microchip Technology plant, 21015 SE Stark St., to honor service members who died in the years since September 11, 2001.

A public ceremony is scheduled for 10 a.m. on Friday, September 11. The display itself will be open to the public starting the day before — from noon to 8 p.m. on Thursday, September 10 — and will remain open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday through Sunday, September 11 through 13.

The Gold Star Families Memorial format is used in communities around the country to give visitors a way to walk among a physical representation of the lives lost, rather than just reading names on a program. For many attendees, it's as much about remembering the families left behind — the "Gold Star" designation refers to immediate family members of those killed in military service — as it is about the individual service members themselves.

With the display open across four days, including the full weekend, organizers are giving residents from across the metro suburbs — not just Gresham — a chance to visit at whatever time works best, whether that's a quiet weekday afternoon or as part of weekend plans.

More details on the ceremony and how to get involved are expected to be released by organizers as the date approaches. In the meantime, it's worth marking the calendar now: Thursday, September 10 through Sunday, September 13, at the Microchip Technology plant on SE Stark Street.