Mt. Juliet flags honor fallen soldiers, loved ones

Edward Wester saluted as volunteer Jeff Cordum tied a yellow ribbon around a flagpole, one of hundreds for sale during the 4th Annual Field of Honor in Mt. Juliet.

Many were purchased in honor of fallen soldiers, veterans, and even grandchildren.

But this flag, like the ones he's bought each year at the sale, was in memory of Wester's close friend, his "battle buddy," Lyle Rymer.

"It’s my way of honoring him," Wester said. "It doesn’t even have to mean whatever to anybody else as long as I know what’s going on and how I feel about it."

The 470 flags for sale go towards services offered by the West Wilson Exchange Club and American Legion Tyler Cates Post 281, from aiding veterans to sponsoring children's camps.

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"We don’t want anybody to forget (fallen soldiers)," said Richard Leedy with the American Legion, who helped customers tie ribbons on their flags.

Rymer was killed by a sniper in Iraq while the two were putting up a concrete barrier in preparation for Baghdad's first election.

"I think of him every day," Wester said.

Customers of all ages stopped by the sale this weekend, many of whom had close ties to the military.

Alicia Carpenter bought hers to honor her Purple Heart-earning father-in-law and fallen family members. But she also knew it would bring joy to her two-year-old daughter, McKenna, clutching a miniature flag while giving the big one a kiss.

"Every time we go by a flag, she just 'Flag flag flag!'" Carpenter said. "She loves it and so I figured she would really like this."

For other customers, the sale was more about supporting the military.

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Wilson County Sheriff's Lt. James Lanier saluted the flags each time he passed the Field of Honor.

“I passed by it about 25 times,” he said.

He and his wife, Rie, aim to install the flag in their front yard.

“I wish I could get all these in my backyard and keep them there forever.”

Reach Jen Todd at 615-313-2760 or on Twitter @jentoddwrites.