CHELMSFORD, MASS. (WHDH) - A Chelmsford couple put up hundreds of American flags on a lawn in their community, each one bearing the name of a US service member.
Shannon and Jon Crandall were behind the 380-flag display in front of Laer Reality in Chelmsford. They started with 140 flags in 2017 and added more each year. Each flag has a name attached to it, each one telling its own story.
“Gerald Dumont was a prisoner of war at the Battle of the Bulge, World War II,” Jon Crandall said.
“You have my cousin Billy, he died in Afghanistan,” Shannon Crandall said. “This is the least we can do to pay back for the sacrifices they made for our country.”
Local Mary Donovan has made it her mission to track down veterans to add their name and branch to the flags.
“Every veteran I run into — watch out — I carry a pencil and paper,” Donovan said. “This is my way of saying thank you. Thank you to America, and thank you for the American flag.”
The flag display will stay up for a few more weeks, and in the meantime, Donovan will be gathering even more names for the Fourth of July display.
“I get so excited, and so thrilled that they are not forgotten, and as long as I live, I will see that there are names put on them,” Donovan said.
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