Symbols of Sacrifice

Fort Scott National Historic Site invites you to join the park in placing the flags for the “Symbols of Sacrifice” Field of Honor Friday morning, May 23, 2025. To ensure everyone can help, we encourage individuals and groups to plan on arriving from 8:30 a.m. through 1 p.m., but you may help as long as you wish. To find out more and to become involved, please contact the park at 620-223-0310, email us at fosc_interpretation@nps.gov, or just come out and help.

Saturday, May 24th at 11 am and 2 pm, Join Dr. Michelle M. Martin for “Sisters in Sorrow: Kansas Women’s Sacrifices for Freedom”. From the founding of Kansas’ first military posts to the turbulent years of Bleeding Kansas, women played a crucial role in the enduring struggle for freedom and justice. As active participants in frontier life, they endured hardships, faced personal losses, and worked tirelessly to build strong families and resilient communities. This program explores the vital contributions of Kansas women during this formative period from 1843 to 1861, shedding light on how their experiences and efforts helped shape the future state of Kansas.

Symbols of Sacrifice continues the entire Memorial Day Weekend, Friday, May 23rd through Monday, May 26th. The Field of Honor will be open throughout during normal park grounds hours from a half hour before sunrise until a half hour after sunset all weekend. Fort Scott National Historic Site also encourages volunteers to help us retire the display on Tuesday, May 27th. This is an all-weather event.

The Field of Honor with its approximately 8,500 flags commemorate the ultimate sacrifice members of the United States Armed Forces have made to keep this country free. Memorial Day was originally known as Decoration Day. It originated in the years following the Civil War and became an official federal holiday in 1971.