Thanks to the efforts of students from Sandusky Community Schools, area volunteers and community leaders, the Sanilac County Courthouse
lawn has been home to a display of over 500 flags and plaques honoring local veterans during patriotic holidays. Officially titled “The Flags of Remembrance Project,” the undertaking began in 2016 under the guidance of now-retired Sandusky teacher George Lasecki. Since then, the amount of flags and plaques has more than doubled, and now, organizers say they are running out of space. Furthermore, the ongoing construction along M-46 has made it so that only about 25 percent of the current flags can be displayed this year.
With assistance from the Sanilac County Board of Commissioners and the Sanilac County Community Foundation, the Flags of Remembrance Project has announced a new, permanent monument that will allow for more names of area veterans to be displayed year-round on the courthouse lawn. The new, four-panel monument will be made from black granite, and will list the names of all veterans who are currently recognized on a plaque, as well as accommodate space for up to 410 additional names. Additionally, flags will continue to be displayed on the courthouse lawn during patriotic holidays.
Fundraising efforts are currently underway, with the hope being to reach the $50,000 goal by the end of the year so that construction of the monument can begin next spring. Currently, the organization says they are about ten percent of the way to meeting their goal.
New names of veterans–living or deceased–can be added for a $200 donation. A link to the order form can be found by clicking here.
Due to this year’s ongoing construction, the Flags of Remembrance Project is focusing their efforts in returning the plaques with the names of veterans to their respective families this summer. The first date for families to pick up their plaques will be this Friday, June 14th between 10:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. on the Sanilac County Courthouse Lawn.
