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The Month of May is Designated “Honor and Remember Month”

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Military Fallen Heroes Recognized With Special Events and Celebrations

 Chesapeake, VA. – Men and women who have died in military service to America will be the subject of a month of solemn ceremonies, special events and public recognition that will begin with the first annual “Virginia Run for the Fallen,” a four-day, 236-mile tribute run from Fort Story in Virginia Beach to Arlington National Cemetery.

“The time has come to do more than set one day a year aside to pay tribute to the men and women of our armed services who have given their lives for America and to recognize the life-changing loss experienced by their families,” said George Lutz, founder of Honor and Remember, an organization dedicated to the establishment of a national symbol of remembrance and to presenting this special tribute to every family that has lost a loved one in military service. “Memorial Day is an important holiday,” said Lutz, “but I believe Gold Star Families, (families of the fallen) deserve more than a day that has become for many just an extra day off from work for shopping and having a barbecue.”

In addition to the Virginia Run for the Fallen, which will take place from May 2 to May 5 (see separate news release), America’s Honor and Remember Month, Honor your Hometown Hero, will place a special emphasis on recognizing all fallen military heroes by encouraging the families, friends and comrades of the fallen, across the country to contact their local media outlets and submit information about their loved one with the hope that the media will do something each day of the month to recognize the sacrifice of that individual life. Likewise, businesses will be encouraged to create a display containing photos and information about fallen heroes from their town or neighborhood.

“I’d like to see every business, civic group, media outlet and neighborhood do something special every day of the month to pay tribute to the men and women who gave all in defense of the freedoms we enjoy as Americans,” said Lutz. “This is a real opportunity for everyone to make a positive statement about the cost of liberty.”

Honor and Remember, Inc. is a non-profit organization established to promote the Honor and Remember Flag. “America does not currently have a tangible national symbol that is specifically dedicated to express respect and gratitude for the lives lost in defense of our freedoms,” said Lutz. “The Honor and Remember Flag fills that void.”

About the Honor and Remember Flag

             The Honor and Remember Flag was unveiled at a ceremony on Memorial Day, May 26, 2008, at the MacArthur Memorial Museum in downtown Norfolk, Virginia. The mission of Honor and Remember is to create, establish and promote a nationally recognized flag that will fly continuously as a visible reminder to all Americans of the lives lost in defense of our national freedoms. The flag honors all military lives lost from our nation’s inception, not only in action but also as a result of serving.

Personalized flags are regularly presented to individual families of fallen service members. Each personalized flag contains the name, theater of operation and date of death of the individual. The flags are presented at both private and public occasions.

Honor and Remember, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.  For more information, please visit www.honorandremember.org.

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Herd Racing Brings Honor and Remember to Professional Boat Racing Series

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National Symbol of Sacrifice and Remembrance Will Appear on Tunnel Boats in 2013

Chesapeake, VA, January 20: Herd Racing will fly the Honor and Remember flag on it’s tunnel boats in 2013, the third consecutive year that the professional boat racing program will support the effort to establish an official national symbol to recognize those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedoms, both parties announced today.

“We are humbled that Herd Racing has once again embraced the Honor and Remember Flag showing public appreciation to our nation’s fallen and their families” said Honor and Remember founder George Lutz.

Dana Tomes, president of Herd Racing, said “the team began carrying the Honor and Remember flag decal on it’s racing boats in 2011.  To date, more than 800,000 people have seen the flag on the team’s boats and more than 50 million have viewed the flag through the televising of the race events. “We are honored to be able to play a small role in helping promote what Honor and Remember stands for,” Tomes said.  “Any exposure we can help generate for the organization is a plus.  Every state should adopt the Honor and Remember flag and fly it proudly.  That’s our unified goal!”

The tunnel boat team will carry a one-foot tall Honor and Remember flag decal on it’s race boats during the team’s 2013 race season.  The team races in front of more than 400,000 people live and is seen on television by more than 25 million people per season.

The mission of Honor and Remember is to create, establish and promote a nationally recognized flag that would fly continuously as a visible reminder to all Americans of the lives lost in defense of our national freedoms. All Military lives lost not only in action but also while serving, from our nation’s inception. In our over 200 year history there has never been an official national public symbol that specifically recognizes in gratitude and respect the ultimate sacrifice made by members of the United States military in service to our nation. The Honor and Remember Flag was created for that purpose.

To date, 14 U.S. states have adopted the Honor and Remember flag.  Legislation is working in other state governments to have the flag recognized and adopted, as well as a current national congressional bill.

About Herd Racing

Herd Racing is a professional powerboat racing team based in Huntington, WV.  The team competes in race events across the United States each year in front of more than 400,000 fans in person and it’s races are seen by more than 25 million people annually on regional television networks.  The team, founded in 2008, finished third in the 2012 APR Superleague’s Formula 2 national tour points standings.

About Honor and Remember, Inc

After the death of his eldest son Tony in Iraq, Gold Star father George Lutz recognized the need to educate the nation on the precious cost of freedom. His mission became raising awareness about the sacrifice made by military men and women who died for their country, through the creation and establishment of a distinct and tangible symbol. The Honor and Remember Flag was unveiled nationally on Memorial Day 2008 to perpetually recognize the sacrifice of our fallen military heroes and their families. The flag is now being endorsed by veteran and service organizations and adopted by cities and states.  And it is being flown by patriotic Americans across our nation and is fast becoming a nationally accepted symbol of remembrance.  You can learn more and sign the petition to support this campaign by visiting www.honorandremember.org

HONOR AND REMEMBER BRINGS FIRST TRIBUTE TO REVOLUTIONARY WAR HERO

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New Symbol of Sacrifice and Remembrance Will Be Presented at National Congress of the Society of the Sons of the American Revolution

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – June 26, 2012

Phoenix, AZ — Honor and Remember, Inc. is proud to announce for the first time since its establishment the presentation of a personalized Honor and Remember Flag in tribute to a hero of the American Revolutionary War.  The presentation will be made on July 9 to Dr. Louis Newton, a descendant of CPT John Chilton, killed September 11, 1777 at the battle of Brandywine.  CPT Chilton is well known to historians for his detailed descriptions of what Revolutionary War soldiers were experiencing in war.

Hundreds of Honor and Remember Flags have already been presented across the USA to the families who have lost loved ones in military conflicts over many generations.  “Since Honor and Remember was established as a national symbol of remembrance, recognizing sacrifice in all wars and all branches of service, we believed it was time to begin reaching back to honor heroes from our nation’s beginning,“ said founder George Lutz

“The NSSAR officially endorsed the efforts of Honor and Remember in 2010 and knowing that their primary focus is on current wars, we are honored that one of our members is being honored publicly in this unique way,” said Dr. Rudy Byrd, Arizona SAR president.

The tribute will take place at the National Society SAR Annual Congress in Phoenix, Arizona, Monday July 9th at 9 a.m. at the Arizona Biltmore at 2400 East Missouri Avenue in Phoenix. Lutz, who will personally make the presentation, has traveled more than 29,000 miles to all 50 states in order to urge the display of the flag by governments, businesses and individuals.  He has delivered personalized versions of the flag to hundreds of families who have lost a loved one in military service.

In March 2012, the state of Arizona officially adopted the Honor and Remember Flag as its symbol of sacrifice and will fly it at every occurrence of an Arizona casualty. To date, more than 20 states have either adopted the flag or endorsed its purpose.  Visit www.HonorandRemember.org for more information.

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About the National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution (NSSAR)

The Sons of the American Revolution is the leading male lineage society that perpetuates the ideals of the war for independence.  As a historical, educational, and patriotic, non-profit corporation organized under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, we seek to maintain and expand the meaning of patriotism, respect for our national symbols, the value of American citizenship, and the unifying force of “e pluribus unum” that was created from the people of many nations — one nation and one people.

The SAR was conceived as a fraternal and civic society composed of lineal descendants of the men who wintered at Valley Forge, signed the Declaration of Independence, fought in the battles of the American Revolution, served in the Continental Congress, or otherwise supported the cause of American Independence. The National Society was chartered by an Act of the United States Congress on June 9, 1906. The charter was signed by President Theodore Roosevelt, who was a member of the SAR. The charter authorizes the granting of charters to societies of the various states and territories and authorizes the state societies to charter chapters within their borders. Federal Legislation that established a federal charter for the National Society SAR. For more information visit www.sar.org

About Honor and Remember, Inc.

After the death of his eldest son, Tony, in Iraq, Gold Star father George Lutz recognized the need to educate the nation about the precious cost of freedom. His mission became raising awareness about the sacrifice made by military men and women who died for their country through the creation and establishment of a distinct and tangible symbol. The Honor and Remember Flag was unveiled nationally on Memorial Day 2008 to perpetually recognize the sacrifice of our fallen military heroes and their families. The flag is now being endorsed by veteran and service organizations and adopted by cities and states.  And it is being flown by patriotic Americans across our nation and is fast becoming a nationally accepted symbol of remembrance. One of our major goals is the presentation of personalized Honor and Remember Flags to individual families of our military fallen heroes. Visit www.HonorandRemember.org for more information.

NATIONAL FLAG MOVEMENT MARKS SECOND ANNIVERSARY WITH CROSS COUNTRY CAMPAIGN

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NEWS RELEASE – May 17, 2010

Honor and Remember Founder Will Visit 50 State Capitals in Five Months

VIRGINIA BEACH, Virginia – Honor and Remember, Inc., an organization founded on Memorial Day 2008 to promote a new national symbol honoring all those who died in military service to America, will visit 50 state capitals on a mission to gain national awareness for the Honor and Remember Flag and to present families of the fallen in each state with personalized flags.

“Honor and Remember Across America” will take founder George Lutz from Virginia Beach, Virginia, in a special RV on a circuitous route across the country to promote the passage of U.S. House of Representatives bill HR 1034, which authorizes the Honor and Remember Flag to be made a national symbol. Stopping at each state capital, Lutz will meet with local, state and federal political leaders seeking their endorsement for both state and federal recognition of the flag. At each stop he will also spend time with families who have lost a loved one in military service and as funds allow present many with a flag emblazoned with the name, date of death and place of death of their family member.

“America needs a tangible symbol that specifically honors the sacrifice of men and women in the United States Armed Forces who have given their lives for their country,” said Lutz.  “The Honor and Remember Flag was created to fly at federal, state and municipal buildings, schools, businesses and homes as a continuous reminder of the price our nation has paid over two centuries for the freedoms we cherish as Americans.”

On Saturday, June 5th there will be a short ceremony initiating the campaign.  Two days later, the Honor and Remember RV will set out on the first leg of a 23-week journey by heading north to Dover, Delaware, where the bodies of fallen military service members enter the country. Then after a stop at the United States Navel Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, the campaign will travel through the remaining Mid-Atlantic states and New England prior to heading west.

The “Honor and Remember Across America” itinerary includes a stop in Los Angeles on September 11, where a special rally will be held, featuring various celebrities including television and radio personality Dennis Miller and actress Bo Derek. The journey will culminate on Veterans Day, November 11, at Arlington National Cemetery for a final ceremony.

During his journey, Lutz will spend time sharing the vision of the Honor and the Remember Flag with Americans everywhere. His desire is to encourage them to support the effort to have the flag adopted as a national symbol by writing to their elected officials and encouraging them to support the flag initiative.

“This is a grassroots campaign to establish a new emblem with which every American can say, ‘I am grateful for and I will never forget what so many families have lost to preserve our nation,'” said Lutz. “Where the Honor and Remember Flag flies beneath the American flag, it reminds us all that freedom is never free.”

On December 29, 2005, George Anthony Lutz II (Tony) was killed by a sniper’s bullet while he was on patrol in Fallujah, Iraq. His family and friends endured the shock, emotional agony and overwhelming loss that accompanied the news of Tony’s death, just like the many families who have suffered the same tragedy. In the months that followed Tony’s funeral, his father, George, visited other families who had lost loved ones in the Iraq war. He began to sense that he had joined the ranks of a unique fellowship. These families were only the latest additions to a group that originated with the American Revolution, when the first soldiers to shed their blood for our freedom gave their lives.

George found another commonality among the families of fallen soldiers. After their grief had transitioned to numbness and finally to acceptance, many families wanted to know two things: their sacrifice was not in vain and the nation would never forget. These concerns led George on a quest to discover if there was a universally recognized symbol that specifically acknowledges the American service men and women who never made it home. To his surprise, he found nothing. Thus the Honor and Remember Flag was conceived. Honor and Remember, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.

During the last two years, personalized Honor and Remember Flags have been presented to nearly two hundred families. Each personalized flag contains the name, date of death and place of death of the service member. The flags are presented to the mother of the fallen service member or another designated family member.Along with many private presentations, Lutz was honored to present flags to family members of the 17 sailors killed in the attack on the USS Cole in Yemen, who gathered for a special ceremony at Naval Station Norfolk on October 12, 2008. On July 4, 2009, Lutz presented personalized Honor and Remember Flags to the family members of the marines killed in the Battle for Fallujah in 2004, who gathered for a special remembrance ceremony in Arlington, Virginia.Understandably, each individual presentation is an emotional and meaningful moment. In addition to the families of service members who have fallen in recent conflicts, Lutz has presented flags to family members of loved ones killed in World War II and Vietnam.

The Honor and Remember Flag has been endorsed by the American Gold Star Mothers, Inc., The Gold Star Wives of America, The Blue Star Mothers, the Vietnam Veterans of America, the Fleet Reserve Association, the Military Officers Association of America, the Associations of the U.S. Army, Navy and Air Force, among many other organizations. The flag has already been adopted as an official state symbol of remembrance by Virginia and Oklahoma; legislation to adopt the flag has been written in nine other states.