CityView Magazine

September 2023

CityView Magazine - Fayetteville, NC

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26 September 2023 A solemn tradition As it enters its 16th year, the Field of Honor at the Airborne & Special Operations Museum has become a moving way for the Fayetteville community to pay tribute to the free and the brave. BY JAMI MCL AUGHLIN FEATURE W hen Katie Mehan learned about the Field of Honor, she immediately thought of her Papaw. Master Sgt. Milton "Tom" Gibson enlisted in the Army in 1953 and served two tours of duty in the Vietnam War. Mehan began working in the communications department at the Fayetteville Public Works Commission in 2020. PWC sponsors Field of Honor flags for its employees to honor their loved ones who serve or have served. Mehan dedicated a flag to her Papaw in 2020 and in October, she and other family members took him to the Field of Honor to show him the flag that was in his name. "He was a proud military man, but he was pleasantly surprised. It was one of the very few times I've ever seen my Papaw get teary- eyed," Mehan says. "For me, it was a way to show him his service to our country still meant something. Even though so much time has passed and the world has changed so much, his sacrifices to serve our country are still very much appreciated." A couple of months later, her grandfather started having trouble swallowing; by January, he was diagnosed with Stage 5 laryngeal cancer. He chose to have the tumor removed, which included removing his larynx. He passed away four weeks later on March 23, 2021, because of complications of the surgery. "When the next Field of Honor was advertised that fall, I was able to get another flag sponsored for him. is time, it was in his memory," says Mehan. e Field of Honor is a moving display of American flags arranged in rows on the parade field at the U.S. Army Airborne & Special Operations Museum every fall. Families and friends sponsor flags in honor or memory of loved ones. Each flag bears the name of the person being honored. e 16th annual Field of Honor will be on display from Sept. 11 to Hundreds of flags fly on the grounds of the U. S . Army Airborne & Special Operations Museum in downtown Fayetteville as people gather for the Field of Honor dedication ceremony. Photo by Johnny Horne

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