Oak Brook Remembers 9-11 Victims With Flag Display
CHICAGO (CBS) -- There's a 9-11 Healing Field in Oak Brook for the next few days - a remembrance of the nearly 3,000 people killed during the terrorist attacks on the United States almost 16 years ago.
"There's 2,976 flags. Each flag is 3x5 and it's on an 8' pole," according to Jerry Christopherson, president of True Patriots Care of the display in the field behind the Oak Brook Public Library.
Ann Bradley walked through the rows of flags on Friday and said she is, "just impressed with all the detail. Each flag has a name attached to it and a little bit about the person who died. It's quite moving, actually."
To have even the faintest memory of 9-11, you'd have to be at least 20-years old. Jerry Christopherson said the events of that day must be remembered. He said that, on Thursday, Butler 53 School District brought 550 school children over here.
"We talked about it and they seen the flags and they seen the names so, that's a good start," he said.
Debbie Collins was driving along 31st Street near the Oak Brook Library when she couldn't help but notice the 9-11 Healing Field.
"We could see all the flags and we were like, 'whoa!'" she said.
Collins and her husband stopped to view the flags, which has the names and short bios of each victim per flag as well as a tribute to the 403 first responders who were among the dead.
"We are in awe. In fact, I was crying. It takes your breath away," she said.
There are colored ribbons on each flag pole. Yellow ribbons for each of the civilians killed, red for firefighters killed, blue for police officers who lost their lives, and 28 white ribbons for the 28 airline crew members who were killed that day.
Christopherson said there's a whole weekend of events, including Sunday afternoon's motorcycle "Ride to Remember" starting in Woodstock.
"All the towns down Rt 47 have cooperated and are escorting the bikes through each of their towns. Each of the towns fire trucks will be joining in the procession and then pulling off and then another town joins it," he said.
The flag display is open 24/7 until Monday afternoon.
