Orange's Official Veterans Day Tribute Now Stands in a Little League Outfield

On Saturday, Nov. 7, more than 1,200 full-size American flags go up at Handy Park, 2143 E. Oakmont. Each one carries a tribute to a named service member. The City of Orange's special-events page lists the display as the city's "Veterans Day Tribute at the Field of Valor." The City doesn't run it. The Community Foundation of Orange does, and the flags are paid for by residents, families and local businesses. This year, Orange's Veterans Day is built almost entirely from private sponsorships, and the details of how that works shape what you'll see on the field.

How a city tribute ended up on a nonprofit's field

Here is the City's own notice on its special events page:

"Due to the City's current financial situation, all events traditionally sponsored by the City have been put on hold until further notice. However, several local non-profits have committed to sponsoring and hosting many of these community events!"

Four events are listed under that notice. Kiwanis of Orange hosts Concerts in the Park. Orange Plaza Traditions hosts Treats in the Streets and the Christmas Market and Tree Lighting. The Community Foundation of Orange carries Veterans Day.

The money trail is public. In July 2024, Voice of OC reported that a staff report had proposed cutting more than $400,000 in community event spending, with concerts in the park and the annual tree lighting both on the list. The same report said the City Council told staff to look into nonprofits, foundations or residents paying for events such as Treats in the Streets. That fall, Orange voters weighed Measure Z, a half-cent sales tax for 10 years. According to the Orange County Register, city officials estimated it would bring in about $19 million a year. Voters rejected it in November 2024. In June 2025, the City adopted a fiscal 2025–26 budget after more than $30 million in cuts, Voice of OC reported.

Orange used to hold its own observance alongside the Field of Valor. In 2023, the Register's Veterans Day roundup listed the flag display plus a separate City tribute at Depot Park. The City's events page now names the foundation's field as its Veterans Day tribute.

The week on the field

The foundation's 2026 schedule runs from one Saturday to the following Thursday:

1. Saturday, Nov. 7, 11:30 a.m. Opening ceremonies. The field opens to visitors.
2. Tuesday, Nov. 10, 11 a.m. A Marine Corps birthday celebration with the Orange Police Department.
3. Wednesday, Nov. 11, 11 a.m. A Veterans Day celebration, with lunch for veterans.
4. Thursday, Nov. 12, noon. The field closes.

The foundation's page lists ceremony times but not daily visiting hours, so check it before planning an evening visit. In 2017, the Register reported public hours of 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., a daily flag lowering and special guests each night. That's a guide to past years, not a promise for this one.

The display stands in the park's grassy outfield. On Veterans Day 2024, The Epoch Times described 1,200 flags moving in the breeze "amid a cluster of little league baseball diamonds." Foundation Executive Director Susie Cunningham told the paper that "each flag has a posted individual tribute to our veterans, both living and past."

Every flag has a name, and many stay for three years

Those tributes are why the field reads differently from one visit to the next. A sponsor fills out the foundation's tribute form. It can include the honoree's dates of service, medals, certificates and up to two photos. Once the form is submitted, any changes go through the foundation's office, which can update the tag.

The foundation also publishes a roster of current tributes. Its "YEARS PURCHASED" column shows each sponsorship's term. Most entries read "24 25 26" or "25 26 27," and a tribute to the 7th Engineer Battalion reads "26 27 28." So a name that's new this year is likely to be back in November 2027 and 2028. Many of the tags that go up at Handy Park on Nov. 7 first appeared in 2024 or 2025.

The pricing points the same way. On the foundation's checkout page, a one-year, one-tribute flag costs $36.92 including fees. A three-year tribute costs $93.96, which is $16.80 less than buying three single years. Bundles of two and three tributes for one year run $73.22 and $109.52. These prices can change, so confirm them on the tribute payment page before you buy. For comparison, a flag cost $35 in the first year.

A field that has changed shape since 2015

According to the Orange Plaza Review, organizer Gary Remland proposed the project in April 2015. That first year had 1,776 eight-foot flags and raised more than $30,000 for local veterans' causes. The paper also reported that the City supplied field lighting that year. Here is how the reported numbers and dates compare across the years:

Opening day moved two days earlier from 2023 to 2024, then one day earlier in each of 2025 and 2026, and 2026 has the earliest closing of those four years. The count dropped from 1,776 to about 1,200 when it moved to individually sponsored tributes. That smaller count fits a field where a flag goes up because a person paid for a particular name.

School visits have been part of the event for years. In 2016, the Register reported that 550 eighth-graders came to the field and researched a veteran's branch, years of service, conflict and awards. The Orange Plaza Review described an event tent for school groups and a "Visit with a Vet" area that year. The foundation's 2026 page still lists outreach to school-aged children as a goal.

Where the money goes after the flags come down

The foundation reports more than $375,556 in grants since the event began in 2015. Recipients include American Legion Post 132, the Chapman University Veterans Resource Center, the Orange Senior Center Veterans Assistance Fund, the Rotary Club of Orange, Patriots and Paws, Honor Flight Southland, the Veterans Legal Institute and the Bob Hope USO. Groups can apply for these grants through the foundation's page.

The 2026 sponsor list reads like a local business directory. The Home Depot Foundation and SC Fuels are at the $10,000-and-up level. The O.L. Halsell Foundation is at $5,000. Orange Elks Lodge #1475, CR&R and KDC Construction are among the $2,500 sponsors, and Orange North Rotary gave $750. In-kind help comes from Home Depot's Orange stores, OC Woodworkers, Outback Storage, Rockwell's and Bill Carr Survey, plus Chapman Crafted Coffee poured by Provisions.

Volunteers also do the physical work. In 2018, Behind the Badge reported that volunteers staked the flags early on opening day, and that the three earlier events had raised $81,000. In 2024, a Love Orange project listing asked for a 31-person crew to take the field down. Their jobs were to pull the flags, tribute cards and rebar, load and unload trucks, and clean up. The foundation's 2026 page has a volunteer sign-up link for anyone who wants to help with this year's field.

The next event on the City's list is the Christmas Market and Tree Lighting on Dec. 6, 2026. Orange Plaza Traditions is running it.

Jose Lemus and Salem Realty Group follow the local groups that keep Orange's calendar running, from the Field of Valor to the December tree lighting. If you have questions about Orange, or about a home near Handy Park or the Plaza, Jose will answer them himself. Talk with Jose: request a free consultation.