Why Veterans Believe in This Project

There is a certain look in a veteran's eyes when they see the American flag catch the wind. It is pride, it is memory, and sometimes it is grief — all at once. That look is why so many who have served believe so deeply in Old Glory Rising.

A Flag That Speaks Their Language

For veterans, the flag is not decoration. It is the last thing draped over a fallen brother's casket, the patch on a shoulder, the symbol that gave meaning to sacrifice. A monument standing 700 feet tall, visible for miles across the Ozarks, honors that meaning in a way words often cannot.

Many veterans have told us that the size of the monument matters — not for spectacle, but because their service, and the service of those they lost, deserves something that cannot be overlooked or forgotten.

A Place to Gather, Not Just to Look

Old Glory Rising is not only a tower of steel and fabric reaching toward the sky. It is planned as a living gathering ground — a community center and open grounds where veterans, families, and neighbors can come together.

• A place for reunions and remembrance ceremonies
• A quiet space for reflection after hard seasons of life
• A gathering ground for Fourth of July celebrations and Veterans Day tributes
• A home base for community events that bring generations together

For many veterans, coming home was not always easy. A place built with them in mind — rooted in the Ozarks soil they may call home — offers something rare: belonging.

Honoring Sacrifice in a Tangible Way

Veterans often speak about the friends who did not come home. They carry those names quietly, year after year. Old Glory Rising offers a way to carry that memory into something permanent and visible.

"A monument like this says their names still matter, even if the world never learns them."

Through the commemorative brick program, families and veterans can dedicate a $250 brick in honor of someone who served — a lasting piece of the gathering grounds that will greet visitors for generations. It is a small, personal way to be woven into something much bigger than any one story.

Built By Community, For Community

This project is not being built by a distant institution. It is being built by everyday Americans — veterans, families, small business owners, and neighbors across Southwest Missouri — pledging their support and believing in something bigger than themselves.

The first phase carries a goal of $2 million, part of a full vision estimated near $51 million. It is an ambitious road, but veterans understand ambitious roads. They have walked harder ones before.

Right now, pledges are being gathered as expressions of support while nonprofit status is finalized. Once that status is complete, gifts will be tax-deductible — but even before that, every pledge represents a promise from the community that this flag will rise.

A Shared Sense of Hope

Veterans believe in Old Glory Rising because they know what the flag has cost, and what it still means. They see in this monument a chance to turn memory into something the whole community can stand beneath — together, in gratitude, for generations to come.

This is not just their project. It belongs to every family, every child learning what the flag stands for, and every neighbor who believes Southwest Missouri can be home to something truly extraordinary.

If someone in your life wore the uniform, you can honor their service and help raise Old Glory. Honor a Veteran