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Flags of Honor Remember Ohioans Killed in Afghanistan, Iraq

Gino Zimmer is founder of the Ohio Flags of Honor Memorial, in memory of his son, U.S. Army Specialist Nicholaus Zimmer, who was killed in Iraq.  The memorial is in Richfield through Sunday at 2 p.m., and will stop in North Olmsted later this month.
KABIR BHATIA
/
WKSU
Gino Zimmer is founder of the Ohio Flags of Honor Memorial, in memory of his son, U.S. Army Specialist Nicholaus Zimmer, who was killed in Iraq. The memorial is in Richfield through Sunday at 2 p.m., and will stop in North Olmsted later this month.

A travelling memorial to Ohioans killed in the War On Terror will be in North Olmsted after stopping in Richfield over the weekend.

The Ohio Flags of Honor Memorial includes more than 300 American flags, each with the name of an Ohio servicemember killed in Iraq or Afghanistan engraved on the flagpole. An additional 600 flags were purchased by supporters of the project, and they’re lined up in diagonal rows, six feet apart, so visitors can walk through and reflect.

The memorial is run by volunteers and grew out of a display put together by Gino Zimmer of Columbus, whose son -- U.S. Army Specialist Nicholaus Zimmer -- was killed in Iraq.

"It's the best-kept secret in Ohio. You hear the Vietnam Wall and you have thousands of people who attend. You hear Ohio Flags of Honor, and you've got hundreds. So, we've got some people trying to help us get national attention. Which would maybe help other states do this."

Along with a stop in North Olmsted later this month, the Ohio Flags of Honor Memorial will be in Sheffield Lake and Clyde in September.

The closing ceremony in Richfield -- at Rt. 303 and Broadview Road -- takes place Sunday at 2 p.m. with a release of doves and rifle salute.

Copyright 2021 WKSU. To see more, visit WKSU.

Kabir Bhatia joined WKSU as a Reporter/Producer and weekend host in 2010. A graduate of Hudson High School, he received his Bachelor's from Kent State University. While a Kent student, Bhatia served as a WKSU student assistant, working in the newsroom and for production.