Honor And Remember

The mission of this organization is to perpetually recognize the sacrifice of America's military fallen heroes and their families. The organization pays tribute to all military lives lost, not only while serving on active duty but also as a result of serving. Military deaths in all wars or conflicts and all branches of service from our nation's inception are recognized.

The primary vehicle for perpetual recognition is a specific and dedicated symbol of remembrance created by this organization: the Honor and Remember Flag, which is intended to fly continuously as a tangible and visible reminder to all Americans of the lives lost in defense of our national freedoms. (CFC #92995)

Dear Supporters,

We've all heard the expression that freedom isn't free. That phrase became all too real to me on December 30, 2005. I received a knock on the door from two uniformed soldiers, who spoke to me five simple words that changed my life forever: “We regret to inform you.” My son, Tony, had been killed the day before by a sniper's bullet while on patrol in Fallujah, Iraq.The word “devastation” doesn’t begin to describe the flood of emotion that moment brings to every family who hears those words and experiences the grieving that follows. I knew I was never going to see Tony’s face or hear his voice again. When a member of the Armed Forces dies in the line of duty, several things happen in a short period of time. The body is transported to a military facility and prepared for return to the U.S. A military officer personally notifies the parents and spouse. Within two weeks of the their death, a military funeral is conducted, at which the family receives the folded American flag that covered the casket. The family members return to their homes and begin the ordeal of coping with the loss of their loved one for the rest of their lives. Within months of their loss, families begin to realize that those who surrounded them in their grief are soon gone. This scenario has played out thousands of times among American families since our nation began.

As the months following Tony’s death crawled by, I found myself searching for ways this country remembered his sacrifice. Of course, there are the many war memorials in cities and towns throughout the U.S. that pay tribute to our fallen heroes. I saw many vehicles with “Support Our Troops” stickers and magnets. On Memorial Day, many people took time to contemplate the price of freedom before firing up the backyard grill. And then there is the folded flag that covered his coffin and is now framed in a shadow box in my home.

Frankly, I found myself wrestling with the nagging, exasperating realization that most of our nation will never see those isolated tributes. I felt that the families of the fallen deserved more.

As the war casualties continued to occur, I began to meet hundreds of similar families understanding the terrible loss they were experiencing. I was also able to make contact with families who had lost loved ones from past generations, including the Gulf War, Vietnam, Korea and even World War II.

As different as these meetings were, there was a common plea from the family members. Please don’t let their death be in vain and please don’t let them be forgotten. It occurred to me that we needed a symbol that specifically recognizes these sacrifices; a way for us all to show appreciation.

We are a nation that loves flags. In addition to our Stars and Stripes, states and cities have their own flags. Every College ,every branch of the military has a flag, as do individual units in the Army and every ship in the Navy. Yet try as I did to find a specific symbol for those who died for the right to fly all of those others, I found nothing. That realization led me on a new journey to create such an emblem to be flown in gratitude to every Gold Star family.

On May 26, 2008, the Honor and Remember Flag was unveiled publicly. Established to become our national public symbol of remembrance, recognizing all those who died while serving our country in the military or as a result of serving.

The symbolism represented on the flag is derived from various icons with military and universal significance: The Red Field represents the blood spilled by brave men and women in America’s military throughout our history. The Blue Star represents active service in military conflict. White Border surrounding the gold star recognizes the purity of sacrifice. The Gold Star signifies the ultimate sacrifice of a warrior in active service. The Folded Flag signifies the final tribute to an individual life sacrificed. The Flame is a reminder we will never forget. We will always Honor their selfless sacrifice and Remember them individually by name.

The Honor and Remember Flag has now been officially adopted in twenty-six states. It is flying at venues around the country including veteran organizations, sports stadiums and NASCAR tracks.

As 2023 goes into full swing I ask for your support in this national effort to bring public awareness of and appreciation to the sacrifices of our military fallen heroes and their families. The ways you can help are simple. Simply fly the flag in appreciation of their sacrifice.

George Lutz - Founder

In keeping with our mission and primary goals, through the Honor and Remember Flag, we continue to significantly impact this nation with the important message of perpetually recognizing our military fallen heroes and their families. Our work as an organization can be summarized in our four inclusive cornerstones: Establish, Educate, Present and Comfort.

Honor And Remember is a Charity participating in the NASCAR Day Giveathon 2023 a Giving Day event, presented by The NASCAR Foundation.