The flags are intended to bring awareness to the staggering number of U.S. veterans who take their own lives. (Photo courtesy of Ocean City)
Volunteers from local Knights of Columbus councils and members of veterans’ organizations on Monday placed more than 500 American flags at the park on the corner of Ninth Street and Bay Avenue in Ocean City.
The flags are intended to bring awareness to the staggering number of U.S. veterans who take their own lives, which is approximately 17 veterans daily, according to the Veterans Administration. By raising awareness about veteran suicide, the group’s hope is to affect change to support veterans in crisis.
“I would like to thank these organizations for putting together this important display,” Ocean City Mayor Jay Gillian said in a news release. “We recently formed a group of community leaders who are committed to improving the mental, physical and emotional well-being of our community. This new display fits perfectly with our focus on mental health.”
The flags will remain in place until Veterans Day on Nov. 11.
The Msgr. James Zeger Council 9113 of Marmora, the St. Joseph Council 10220 of Somers Point, the Fr. Thomas Blake Council 2560 of Ocean City, the All Saints Council 6277 of Northfield/Linwood, the St. Katherine Drexel Council 12868 of Egg Harbor Township, the Rev. Dr. John T. Sheehan Assembly 622, AmVets 911 of Somers Point, and the Egg Harbor Submariners Base of Egg Harbor Township contributed to the display.
