Every Veterans Day in the Bridgeland community, residents gather in front of a 12-by-8-foot American flag and listen in silence as the names are read of all the veterans who served in the U.S. military and live in or have ties to Bridgeland families.
The ceremony has been hosted by the local nonprofit The Bridgeland Community Supports Veterans since 2012. Leading up to the event each year, the group gathers submissions from the community of the names of veterans to be recognized. Photos of each veteran are posted on boards and placed in the shape of a Victory V.
Since the inaugural event, the number of boards has grown from 10 to 40, said Kay Burkhalter, who serves on the nonprofit’s board.
“People come by, and they read, and they’ll show their children,” she said. “People come up to me in tears afterward. The simple act of reading a name out loud is a way of saying, ‘we will not forget you.’”
