On an empty lot at Raeford and South McPherson Church roads, 178 blue-and-white American flags stand at attention.
Each flag honors a police officer, police dog or civilian employee of the Fayetteville Police Department, past or present, for their dedication to protecting the people of Fayetteville and those who visit the city.
The fluttering array of flags is the second annual Field of Blue, sponsored by the Fayetteville Police Foundation. The nonprofit group supports officers, their K-9s, and employees of the Police Department by providing support, equipment and other things not covered by the department’s budget.
Members of the Police Foundation board spent a hot, humid morning drilling holes in the hard-packed clay soil to place the flagpoles. They attached the flags to the poles, then aligned each in alphabetical order of the names of those they honor.
Each flag bears the name of an officer, a K-9, or a civilian employee that someone chose to honor by purchasing a flag. Each flag is $25, and all the money earned either pays for the flag or is used in other ways to support the department and its employees.
The flags are displayed during National Police Week, which this year is May 15-21. The flags will remain in place until June 3. Once removed, they are presented to each honoree.
