About the Field of Honor
Field of Honor 2025 Schedule
MURRIETA FIELD OF HONOR OPENS IN TOWN SQUARE PARK NOVEMBER 8
The 17th annual Murrieta Field of Honor will be on display November 8-15 in Murrieta’s Town Square Park, giving visitors the opportunity to recognize their heroes in an awe-inspiring setting with 2,025 full-sized American flags.
Each year for the past 17 years, the Field has recognized heroes –those who served or are serving in the United States armed forces, law enforcement, fire and other first responder posts, plus personal heroes. In addition to the 2,025 flags available for dedication to personal heroes, the Field features sections for Medal of Honor recipients, Local Heroes (those from Riverside and San Bernardino counties, who have given their lives for this country since 2003), historical flags, the 9/11 memorial rock garden, a flag dedicated to those who perished in 9/11, state flags and a patriotic chalk walk.
The Field of Honor is brought to Murrieta as a community service by the Rotary Clubs of Murrieta and Old Town Temecula in partnership with the City of Murrieta. The Field of Honor is held in the park, located just two blocks off I-15, and stretching from City Hall at Jefferson and Kalmia streets, to the Murrieta Library. The display is free and open to all.
Opening ceremonies for the 2025 Field of Honor recognize First Responders, including the Murrieta fire and rescue and police departments. This is scheduled for 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, November 9. Local and state officials will speak.
As the flags are being placed in perfect rows in the park early on Saturday, November 8, artists participating in the Al Vollbrecht Rotary Chalk Walk will be creating patriotic works of art on the sidewalks surrounding the park.
A salute to the United States Marines on their 250th birthday will be held on Monday, November 10. Murrieta’s popular Veterans Day parade will be Tuesday, November 11. A candlelight concert with Murrieta students is planned for Thursday night and a Boy Scouts Final Flag Salute ceremony is planned on Friday evening.
“We are honored to present this spectacular event as a gift to our Southwest Riverside community,” said Kirk Effinger, 2025-26 President of the Murrieta Club. “And we are especially thankful for our Field of Honor community partners who not only make this event possible but also make it possible for Rotary to fund many impactful projects throughout the year.”
The Field of Honor’s Organizing Committee is led by Murrieta Rotary Past President Lou Ellen Ficke and Jennifer Rasmussen, Past President of the former New Generation Rotary Club.
Additional Event Details
Each American flag is three by five feet on an eight-foot pole and can be purchased for $35. They can be purchased here, until Friday, Nov. 14, or by going to the Field of Honor between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. during the week. Each sponsored flag is tagged with the name of the honoree and rank, service or other designation for your personal hero. Those who have flags from previous years that are in good condition can have them reposted for $10.
Flag purchasers can pick up their flags on Saturday, Nov. 15, and from 9 a.m. until noon on Sunday, Nov. 16.
Proceeds from the 2025 Field of Honor will benefit community projects of both Rotary Clubs.
Furthering the Field of Honor’s educational benefits, all Murrieta Valley Unified School District fifth grade classes will visit the Field during the week, hear explanations about the displays and complete class assignments.
Full Schedule of Events
Sat. Nov. 8: 10 a.m. Opening ceremonies honor first responders.
9 a.m.-4 p.m. Al Vollbrecht Rotary Chalk Walk artists developing patriotic images
Sun. Nov. 9: – 9 a.m.-4 p.m. — Al Vollbrecht Rotary Chalk artists developing patriotic images
Mon. Nov. 10: Rotary Veterans Luncheon and Marine Corps Birthday.
Tues. Nov. 11: 10 a.m.-noon — City of Murrieta’s Veterans Day Parade, concluding at the Field of Honor
Wed. Nov. 12- Fri. Nov. 14: 9 a.m.-11 a.m. — Student field trips.
Thur. Nov. 14: 6 p.m. — Candlelight Concert features choirs from the Murrieta schools; reading of “Letters from War” by The Wunderlich Family.
Fri. Nov. 14: 5 p.m. – Boy Scouts conduct Final Salute flag retirement
Sat. Nov. 15: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. — Flag Pick-ups
Sun. Nov. 16: 9 a.m.– noon — Flag Pick-ups
EVENT DETAILS
Flag Sponsorships
Flags can be sponsored for $35. The sponsor may choose the name of the honoree to be attached to the flag along with two lines of information about the hero. At week’s end, sponsors may claim the flags, their ribbons and the poles on which they’ve flown. Flags also can be mailed to sponsors for an additional fee.
Flag Sponsorships for the 2025 Field of Honor are available for purchase.
Special Sections
Four special sections will be part of the Field:
- The Local Heroes field honors the more than 100 men and women from the region who have died in the line of duty fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan since 2004.
- A section recognizing Californians who have received the Medal of Honor, the country’s highest military decoration that is awarded for life-saving acts during war.
- 27 versions of the stars and stripes that have officially flown over the country since the first one authorized by Congress in 1777 also are displayed along with a half dozen other familiar flags in the country’s past that were never approved.
- A section where we display the flags of all 50 states.
Vollbrecht Chalk Walk
Murrieta Rotary is issuing a call for artists to paint patriotic images with chalk at the club’s annual Field of Honor scheduled for November 8th – 15th at Town Square Park. Click here for more info.
Who Benefits?
Net proceeds from the 2025 Field of Honor will go to the Rotary Club of Murrieta Foundation which funds a wide variety of projects including scholarships, teacher grants, youth leadership programs, music and speech contests, foster youth and disadvantaged children and special community needs response. In 2019, Foundation funds provided a special emergency response application for Murrieta Fire & Rescue. In addition, the Foundation provides funds for International projects, including Rotary’s campaign to eradicate polio worldwide. Field of Honor proceeds have funded the “Murrieta Through Time” history walk and contributed to the City’s Veterans’ Memorial, both in Town Square Park.
Location
The event is located at:
Town Square Park
24701 Jefferson Ave
Murrieta CA 92562
The park is located on the corner of Kalmia St and Jefferson Ave in Murrieta
Event Hours
The Field of Honor is open from 9am to 5pm beginning Saturday November 8th, through Saturday November 15th.