TAMPA, Fla. — Veterans will be honored starting today during a 3-day event at Veterans Memorial Park in Tampa.

Hillsborough County Government, the City of Tampa and the Rotary Club of Tampa Bay are partnering for the event, which places almost 250 6-foot tall American flags in honor of veterans.

Each flag has a name placard with the hero being honored.

What You Need To Know

"Tt's honoring all the people that served and it gives everybody in Rotary the opportunity to honor not only people that have been in the military, but people that have gone through the COVID and things like that," said Gary Nash, a Veteran that served during Vietnam with the Air Force Air Medical Evacuation Unit.  "You'll see around here a lot of nurses, a lot of doctors, a lot of that will be on these flags."​

Doctors, nurses, even teachers are named on some of the flags this year in honor of those front-line workers fighting and working through the pandemic that has claimed more than 5 million lives worldwide.

Former Hillsborough County Commissioner Kevin Beckner helped place flags this week and says the display is all about honoring those giving our community hope and strength.

"There's so many things that divide us as a country and as a community," Beckner said. "We are looking, and we found a way to actually honor the many individuals that have a positive impact in our personal lives that have contributed to our country and our community."​

Each of the almost 250 flags have either individual or group sponsorship of $100 each.

This year the event has raised more than $32,000.

All proceeds will go to local not-for-profits focusing on children and families in need in the Tampa area.

St. Petersburg Veterans Celebration

At a ceremony Thursday morning in St.  Petersburg, retried US Coast Guard Rear Admiral Sidney Boyd Vaughn, Jr. received the city’s honored veteran award.

Vaughn will be 94 years old Saturday and is as sharp as ever.

He’s a St. Pete native and graduate of St. Petersburg High.

He spent 38 years in the Coast Guard and stationed in the Bay area part of the time.

Vaughn says all of his Coast Guard comrades have passed on. So the fact he’s being honored by his community at this point in his life means more now than ever.

“I don’t have friends that I can mingle with that sort of thing, have parties with, but now I have a new group of friends here in St Pete some of which are here this morning,” Vaughn said. “That are here to honor me. And I’m thankful for them doing that.”

During his time in the Coast Guard, he trained hundreds of officers, including the first women.