WILLMAR — The men and women who served in the U.S. armed forces and have died are still being honored in the Willmar area for Memorial Day despite many events being canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In the early hours of Friday morning, a hundred flags were raised by dozens of volunteers and veterans at the Flags of Honor memorial along U.S. Highway 71 in Willmar to commemorate those who lost their lives for the country. The flags will be up through Memorial Day on Monday.
1/4: Mary Fischer looks up at the flag that was raised in memory of her husband, Don Fischer, and her son, Mike Fischer, who both served in the Navy and recently passed away. The first two flags raised Friday morning at the Flags of Honor memorial in Willmar were in honor of them. Erica Dischino / West Central Tribune
2/4: Allan, left, and Elaine Simon raise a flag Friday morning at the Flags of Honor memorial in Willmar. Area veterans and volunteers raised one hundred flags in remembrance of the military personnel who had died while serving in the U.S. Armed Forces. Erica Dischino / West Central Tribune
3/4: Al Kelm, Veterans of Foreign Wars Commander for Post 1639, takes a flag out of a bin to help raise one hundred flags Friday morning at the Flags of Honor memorial in Willmar. Erica Dischino / West Central Tribune
4/4: One hundred flags were raised Friday morning by area veterans and volunteers at the Flags of Honor memorial in Willmar in remembrance of the military personnel who had died while serving in the U.S. Armed Forces. Erica Dischino / West Central Tribune
Erica Dischino is a photojournalist for the West Central Tribune and Forum News Service. She grew up in northern New Jersey and has lived in the Midwest since 2017. She enjoys photographing the stories of west central Minnesota from county fairs, parades and pandemics. Feel free to contact her at edischino@wctrib.com or 320-894-8865 with your best photo ideas.
