More than 9,000 American flags fluttered in a chilly November breeze Saturday morning, Veterans Day 2023, on the lawn of the Fort William Henry Hotel as a crowd gathered to honor the nation’s veterans. Each flag in the Field of Flags represents a veteran, their names listed on placards along the field’s edge. “This is just a tiny sliver of all the names throughout time and community, state and the nation that we honor today,” says Cyndy Avery, Director of Education at the Fort William Henry Museum.
Avery encouraged those in attendance to walk among the flags, saying, “I hope you’ll feel the sense of awe and respect that I feel when I am surrounded by all these flags, each one representing someone who was called to duty or chose to make it their duty and their mission to don the uniform of one of our U.S. armed forces.”
For Avery, military service is personal. Her father, U.S. Marine Edward Avery, served during the Korean War and her grandfather served in WWI. She says the paper poppy pinned to her lapel is to honor his service. Her family served the country even before it was an independent nation.
“As I stand here at Fort William Henry, at this awe-inspiring field of flags, I want to acknowledge the soldiers that fought for their cause here in the 1750s,” she says. “Their actions, in time, led to our military and community leaders creating and signing the Declaration of Independence.”
“It was in 1755, my great uncle Christopher Avery and his regiment from Connecticut were en route to capture Fort Saint-Frédéric on Lake Champlain, which we currently know as Fort Crown Point. His regiment never made it, and actually, they never made it past Lake George. The army was met by French ambush and truly, just moments from where I stand, Christopher Avery became a casualty to the Battle of Lake George at the age of 21. His military service and all the military personnel that preceded and followed him to this day have paved the way to American freedom.”
President of Fort William Henry Corporation Sam Luciano also spoke saying: “Fort William Henry stands as a symbol of courage, resilience and patriotism much like the brave men and woman who have served our country throughout its history. On this hallowed ground, where the echoes of the past remind us of challenges faced by those who came before us, we come together to honor the extraordinary individuals who have defended our freedoms and protected our way of life.”
Luciano continued, “Veterans Day is a day of remembrance, a day to reflect upon the immeasurable bravery displayed by our service members in times of war and peace. It is a day to acknowledge the unselfish commitment of our veterans who stood tall in the face of adversity ensuring the safety and security of our nation and its people. We owe them a debt of gratitude that can never be repaid. As we stand here today, let us not only remember the heroism displayed on the distant battlefields but also the sacrifices made by the veterans and their families, the sleepless nights, the missed holidays, the moments of uncertainty, all to safeguard the principles on which this great nation was founded.”
Executive Director of Adirondack Vet House Jeff Varmette, who served in the Marines, took the podium to describe the type of person that is a veteran. “Veterans, when they first sign up for the services, they sign a blind contract, it’s called. So, they do a three-year, four-year, or six-year contract with no guarantees, and I don’t know anybody in their right mind who would do that except for a veteran.” Varmette went on to describe a military member’s introduction to service in boot camp, “The recruiters call it a vacation,” he says.
Boot camp means showering with 100 or more strangers in open showers, sleeping in bunk beds and getting yelled at 24/7. Veterans are, says Varmette, “People who wake up at 0500, go for a run, get yelled at, go to breakfast and get yelled at again, then go to classes and get yelled at yet again to finish out your one day, and then you hit the rack at 7 O’clock, and I don’t know of many people who go to bed at 1900 at nighttime when it’s still daylight out except for a veteran.”
He also noted that “People who have the highest bond of comradery are veterans. Veterans who haven’t seen each other for decades pick up from where they left off from the first time they met.” As proof of this, he pointed to two men in his audience, Marines he served with forty years ago and hasn’t seen since. They reunited to celebrate the Marine’s birthday — The Continental Marines were established on Nov. 10, 1775 — and the men still had a strong bond.
The ceremony concluded with a moment of silence for the fallen and a three-volley musket salute fired by an honor guard of Fort William Henry reenactors. Following the ceremony, Fort William Henry Hotel held a buffet lunch with net proceeds from the lunch to benefit Adirondack Vets House.
Photos: Fort William Henry’s Field of Flags 2023
