FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – The Kraft family and the New England Patriots have a longstanding commitment to supporting those who have served and those who continue to serve our country. As part of the Salute to Service campaign, the Patriots and Optum will pay tribute to all of the lives that have been lost during the War on Terror.
From Thursday, Nov. 21 through Sunday, Nov. 24, the Global War on Terror Memorial Flag will be on display outside of Gillette Stadium. This 28 foot wide by 6 foot tall American flag symbolizes the shape of the flag when draped on a fallen service member's casket. It is formed of approximately 7,000 dog tags of all those who have fallen since September 11, 2011. The memorial also has 50 gold stars as a tribute to gold star families nationwide.
This memorial was funded through Veterans and Athletes Unified (VAU) veterans. It was built by veterans, active duty military and caring professionals from military families. Similar to the Vietnam Moving Wall, this memorial travels to special locations where it is open to the public, allowing communities to reflect on the service and sacrifice of our armed forces. In between travel, the memorial is headquartered at the VAU veterans retreat in Northern Chesterfield, Virginia, where it can impact all of those being served by their programs.
"The VAU Fallen Heroes Memorial is a special celebration of the more than 7,000 brave men and women that have lost their lives while defending our country during the War on Terror," said Patriots Chairman and CEO Robert Kraft. "We are honored to host this memorial at Gillette Stadium this weekend and through our Salute to Service game on Sunday. We hope that New Englanders will join us to celebrate the lives of these ultimate Patriots."
The memorial is being sponsored by Optum and the Patriots. It will be located in the Enel Plaza, directly across from the Patriots Pro Shop. Visitors are asked to arrive via the P1 entrance and follow signage to parking lot 4. Spectators will have an opportunity to visit the wall starting at 9:00 a.m. on Thursday, Nov. 21. It will be open to the public until 9:00 p.m. each day, running through Sunday, Nov. 24. Parking at Gillette Stadium and admission to visit the VAU Fallen Heroes Memorial are free.
The Kraft family, the Patriots Foundation and Optum hosted the Veterans and Athletes Unified (VAU) Fallen Heroes Memorial at Gillette Stadium on Friday, Nov. 22, 2019. This 28-foot wide by 6-foot tall American flag symbolizes the shape of the flag when draped over a fallen service member's casket. The memorial, which features approximately 7,000 dog tags - each representing a soldier who died in service since September 11, 2011 - is a tribute to all of the servicemen and servicewomen who have lost their lives during the War on Terror. For more information on the VAU Fallen Heroes Memorial visit www.vetsau.com/memorial.
For more information on the VAU Fallen Heroes Memorial please visit www.vetsau.com/memorial. You can also find them on Facebook at facebook.com/vetsau/ or on Instagram @Vetsau
