'Field of Honor' to Open Tuesday at HHS

The Harrison High School Band will kick off their fundraising efforts for a to December’s Pearl Harbor Memorial Parade in Hawaii with an opening ceremony for a "Field of Honor" at the school.

The first event will be the opening of the “Field of Honor” at 1:00 p.m. Tuesday. The “Field of Honor” is a display of American Flags representing donations made by parents, family and community members in honor of a veteran. The flags will display the name of the honored veteran on gold ribbons and will be placed on the front lawn of Harrison High School.

Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino and veterans, including those who were stationed at Pearl Harbor on that infamous day, will be on hand for the event. The American flags will be on display from March 27 through June 15, the day after Flag Day.

Donations are currently being accepted at Harrison High School and donation forms can be found on the Harrison Central School District website. Donations of $40 per flag are currently being accepted.

The Harrison High School Band was selected by the Pearl Harbor Memorial Parade’s organizing committee to represent New York State in this year’s parade, marking the 50th anniversary of the USS Arizona Memorial.

Members of the band have already sent over 900 letters to veteran’s organizations across the state of New York asking for a token to carry in the parade. Traditionally, many soldiers carry a pin, letter or other keepsake during their service.

“The Field of Honor is a wonderful way to acknowledge the service and sacrifices of the courageous men and women in our armed forces,” said Charles Briem, co-director of the Harrison High School band. “It is our privilege and honor to be representing the veterans and the State of New York.”