Under rainy skies, people gathered on the West Lawn of the Fort William Henry Hotel this Veterans Day to honor the American Military, past and present. The 11 a.m. ceremony, held at the Fort’s Field of Flags, included a musket salute performed by French and Indian War reenactors.
The Field of Flags is a Veterans Day tradition at the Fort. Last week, volunteers set more than 7,000 flags on the lawn to make the 2020 Field. Each flag is labeled with the name, rank and branch of service of a veteran or active-duty military member. The Flags are grouped by era/war from the Colonial Wars to those who serve today.
Fort William Henry collects the names from museum visitors, and the log of names has grown each year. Those who attended the 2020 Field of Flags ceremony were invited to add a flag with the name of their own service member. The public may have a service member’s name added to the logbook for next year by calling (518)964-6647.
Following the ceremony, attendees were invited to the Fort William Henry’s Tankard Tavern for refreshments. The Field of Flags will remain on the lawn through Saturday, Nov. 14, 2020.
The Fort William Henry Field of Flags is a Veterans Day tradition. 
A small group gathered to honor the American Military on Veterans Day. 
French and Indian War reenactors honored the military with a musket salute. 
The Grave of the Unknowns in Battlefield Park is the oldest recognized grave of unknown soldiers in the country. 
More than 7,000 flags filled the 2020 Field of Flags. 
Ceremony attendees review the log of military members, names collected by Fort William Henry for the Field of Flags.