Fort William Henry holds Veterans Day Field of Flags ceremony

Fort William Henry held its annual Veterans Day commemoration on Tuesday morning at the Field of Flags on the hotel’s lawn. Each American flag in the display, nearly 11,000 Flags this year, represents an individual who has served in the American military.

In introductory remarks, Andrew Menzie, Director of Historic Interpretation at the fort, said, “Each flag that waves here today not only represents a veteran, but also their loved ones and their community, people who missed them, been worried about them during their absence, and helped them to readjust to civilian life when their time of uniformed service was over.”

The ceremony opened with Lake George High School Sophomore Libby Pape singing the National Anthem and an honor guard of historical reenactors entering the field. Sam Luciano, President of Fort William Henry Corp., spoke, saying, “Fort William Henry has stood on these grounds for centuries. It’s been a place of courage and sacrifice, a place where history reminds us that liberty is truly not free. Today, we are reminded that every flag here behind me has a face, has a family, has a name, and has a legacy that we should be endlessly thankful for.”

Other speakers included Jeff Varmette, Executive Director of Adirondack Vets House, Christopher Hawley, Town of Lake George Councilman and USMC veteran and Daniel Wrenn, representative of the New York State Executive Chamber.

Varmette spoke of the veterans each flag in the field represents. “These people have, you know, they have a special place in my heart because, obviously I’m a veteran, but more so, they’re not here today, and all you come out to bring them alive again. Their spirit is with us, even though they’re not here physically.”

Councilman Hawley spoke about his service in the U.S. Marine Corps and what he learned when he wore the uniform. He said the Marines not only taught him how to defend the country, but led him to understand his own values, what to him was important.

“This really hit home when I realized that this is what my grandfather, a World War I veteran, my father, a World War II veteran, instilled in me,” Hawley said. “It really is about community, about taking care of each other… I look at the number of veterans and the people that I’ve met. You find out that it’s the people that are the most important. And the greatest part about the veterans is not only did they serve, they helped take care of each other.”

Wrenn, speaking on behalf of Governor Hochul, noted that “the state calls upon us to solemnly remember our veterans whose lives were dedicated to not only our state and nation, but to our communities, our towns and villages that we have across New York. Our lives would be very and vastly different without them.”

From the American Revolution to the present day, Wrenn said, those who served are “united by a common thread of devotion to our communities and to those ideals of life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness.” On Veterans Day, we pause to remember their honor, courage, and sacrifice as the nation continues on a path to creating a more perfect union, Wrenn said.

The speeches were followed by a wreath-laying ceremony and a three-volley musket salute. Reenactor Sue Brenz performed a smudging ritual, burning white sage over the grounds to cleanse negativity from the area and honor the veterans and all who attended the ceremony.

The Veterans Day ceremony was followed by a luncheon buffet at the Fort William Henry Conference Center to benefit the Adirondack Vets House.

Names of veterans represented in the Field of Flags have been nominated by visitors to the fort. The number of flags has grown over the years from less than 100 to several thousand. By Veterans Day 2026, the nation’s Semiquincentennial, the fort hopes to expand this number to 11,111, a number important to veterans (The Armistice that ended WWI went into effect on the 11^th hour, of the 11^th day of the 11^th month). To add a veteran to the Field of Flags, contact Fort William Henry Museum at (518)668-5471.