WHO: The Exchange Club of Sugar Land including former U.S. Congressman Pete Olson, local community leaders, local veterans groups, first responders and everyday heroes.
WHEN: November 10, 11 and 12, 2023 for seventy-two straight hours.
WHERE: University of Houston, Sugar Land campus, Interstate 69/U.S. 59 and University Boulevard.
WHAT: 1,000 large (3’ x 5’) American Flags with names of heroes attached to the flags in a solemn Field of Honor.
WHY: Veteran’s Day is a federal holiday that is celebrated annually on November 11. It was created to recognize the end of World War 1 - “the war to end all wars”. The cessation of hostilities between the Allies and Germany officially was effective on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month in 1918. After the Second World War, Veteran’s Day was modified to become a celebration of every man and woman who has served in the Armed Forces.
One of the Exchange Club’s three national programs of service is Americanism, which promotes pride in America and gratitude to the men and women in our military. The Exchange Club of Sugar Land was proud to lead Sugar Land’s Veteran’s Day celebration.
As a veteran of the United States Navy, Veteran’s Day is a very special day for me and all who have served in America’s armed services. Our hometown of Sugar Land is the most patriotic city in our nation on this special day of honor. It has always been a day to celebrate our heroes. The horrific attacks our country endured on September 11, 2001, and the COVID pandemic have shown us that you do not have to serve in the Armed Services to be a hero. We all know heroes in our daily lives. Instead of one day to celebrate military heroes, the Exchange Club of Sugar Land and hundreds of volunteers are going to expand our local celebration to THREE days to honor ALL heroes. We are going to celebrate first responders (police, fire, EMS, etc) on Friday, November 10. November 11 will be focused on veterans as usual. We’ll end on Sunday, November 12, by honoring hometown heroes like a mother, a father, a doctor, a nurse, a therapist, a teacher, a coach, a pastor, a mentor, a dear friend, etc. No profession or relationship is out of bounds. Texan or non-Texan, living or dead - it doesn’t matter. Old Glory is eternal.
The focal point of the celebration on all three days will be a “Field of Honor” - a sea of red, white, and blue flags flying proudly for seventy-two straight hours. The flags will be lit at night in compliance with federal law. There will be brief, thirty-minute ceremony at 5:00pm each day to honor the group that is the focus of our celebration that day. This expanded celebration of heroes is solely about the flags in the Field of Honor and the heroes being honored. There will be no food trucks or commercial vendors. Our focus is only on flags for our heroes.
We have one thousand flags in storage in Rosenberg. We hope to make our local celebration the largest Field of Honor in Texas. Attached is a brief video produced by the Exchange Club of what we envision our Field of Honor will look like. It’s very moving and powerful.
All the money raised over the three days of honoring heroes will go to local charities. The Exchange Club keeps none of the funds. We have over sixty-thousand in corporate and charitable sponsorships.
If you have questions or want to see history being made through our plans to expand Veteran’s Day in Sugar Land from one day to three days, please contact me at pgointex@hotmail.com or Doug Earle at dougsltx@gmail.com.
The media is welcome anytime. We’ll see you next week!
Very respectfully,
Pete Olson
United States Congressman
Texas Congressional District 22
2009 - 2021
United States Naval Aviator
1989 - 1998