HELENA — The U.S. Honor Flag is an American flag that began at Ground Zero after the terrorist attacks of 9/11 and focuses on honoring heroes killed in the line of duty, from law enforcement to military servicemen and women. This flag alone has traveled over seven million miles. The Honor Network visited Helena firefighters to showcase this flag.
In a room filled with Helena firefighters, one can see a Helena firefighter and military vet, Lieutenant Kasey DeLaHunt, holding the United States Honor Flag (pictured above), giving tribute to all those who have fallen in the line of duty.
“For being the one that was able to hold the flag here, it was such an honor. You can probably see in the video that I was shaking, choked up, very honor to be the one to actually hold the flag," says DeLaHunt.
As firefighters gathered around DeLaHunt for a photo, all were grateful to have the Honor Network stop by their facility and educate them on their mission honoring first responders.
“This flag represents the service and sacrifice that [first responders] do every single day,” says Cindy Heisler, Treasurer and Social Media for Honor Network. “They leave their own families to serve and protect others, to serve and protect strangers that they don't know and that flag represents that service in that sacrifice."
The flag not only traveled all across the country, it’s been in Iraq, Afghanistan, and even orbited Earth over 200 times in NASA’s Space Shuttle Atlantis. Now, the Honor Network is taking the flag over 3,000 miles from Washington state to D.C. in a bike tour to raise $100,000 to four nonprofits honoring first responders. They say they take any chance to educate their mission.
“We try and peddle at least four days in a row and then take a day off and try and make it for those days. If we're near a large city like [Helena], we'll stop in and see them,” says Philip Devereaux, a participant in the bike tour. “If it's a small volunteer fire department, we'll pass by and if there's people there, we're going to stop and see them, police officers we will talk to. Anyone we're willing to talk to."
The Honor Network began their journey June 22nd. They expect to be in D.C. August 2nd, 2021.
To learn more about the bike tour, click here.
