3031 Flags Memorial for 9-11

On 12-2-2002 I received in my E/M from John on my mailing list.....a series of pictures taken in Sandy Utah and a narrative by the person who took these pictures. This person is still "Unknown" to me and if anyone knows who took these pictures and wrote their feelings down so eloquently.....please contact me so I can give them credit. I decided to make a webpage of these pictures as I felt this wonderful tribute that a city in Utah had done for 9-11-2002 needed to be seen by others.

I did some detective work on my own....to uncover more information on this event and even tho you will read further down....that the company who created this grand display memorial was unknown at the time this person took these pictures....I am happy to advise you that at the bottom of this page is the information as to their name and also the fact that some of these 3031 flags are still available to buy. In fact....I have one on the way to my house...now! Many thanks to Deaun Baugh at the Sandy City Hall and to Valerie at the Flag company for filling in the blanks...of this story for me!!  I cropped, resized, buttonized and then compressed these pictures so they would load faster & show better.      "SKY" :)

3,031 large flags in Utah. A reverent silence prevails in this eerie representation of those who died on Sept. 11th.

Utah remembers the victims of September 11, 2001
I never heard or saw anything about this in the media. I was going to the bank when I saw this.  I went home, got my wife Linda, and came back with a camera.  Below is my best, though inadequate, attempt to share the experience with you.....

The above picture was taken on the mall in front of the Sandy,Utah city hall.  I pasted the photos together to try and help show just how big this thing was but even with that, the photos don't do it justice. There was very little publicity about this, but it was a real traffic stopper. People would park and get out and walk among the flags. Some brought bundles of flowers and left them at the base of a flag. Others came together and just hugged each other hard in the silent memory of the terrible loss that we suffered one year ago.  We all know over 3000 people lost their lives, but seeing this display, and walking among it, helps put perspective on just how big a number that is.

Close up of the one of the signs placed around the perimeter of the display. There were also some international flags on display representing some of the various foreign nations whose citizens dies that day.  Interestingly, this whole display was done by a local company that manufactures and distributes flags and flag display equipment...and I saw not a single sign bearing their name in the display. People walked through, and all you could hear was the sound of the flags blowing in the breeze.  A reverent silence prevailed over the display as those who came each reviewed his or her experiences of that fateful day a year ago.

I saw many families while I was there. It was hard watching adults struggling to cope with their own emotions while caring for children who were far too young to understand the significance of the flags around them.  To the credit of the children, I didn't see any who could not somehow sense that this was a special place.  For a few moments, everyone who came, young and old, male and female, families, and even a group of mentally handicapped individuals stopped their busy daily lives to remember.  If those who caused this pain only knew how much stronger we have become, and how terribly their comrades have paid, and will continue to pay, for this horrible crime, I wonder if they still would have done what they did.

It's hard to picture mentally just how big this thing is. As I walked among the rows, I was reminded of rank on rank of soldiers standing at attention, guarding us even now.

Some brought flowers, small flags, notes etc.  The flags didn't have individual names on them so I don't know how people picked out where they would leave these tokens as they experienced their own memories and grief. For anyone who has ever shed a few tears at THE WALL (the Viet Nam Veterans memorial in Washington DC) or during the changing of the guard at The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington, VA, this display is every bit as moving in its sheer power to remind those who come of just how deeply we all experienced the cowardly attack on innocent civilians in our own homeland.

We parked about a block away to get in and experience it up close. We weren't the only ones as you can see.
Please forward in respect for those who died and their families.

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This the the E/mail I received but I now have 2 more pictures that were sent to me by Valerie at the flag company in Sandy Utah.

This shows the Sandy City Hall....in the background

A Great Overview

The idea for this touching memorial was the creation of the 2 owners of Colonial Flag & Specialty Company, Paul & Dave Swenson. To order Flags..1-800-782-0500...Ask for  Valerie....tell her,  "SKY"  sent you!

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