Five Thin Blue Line American flags flank the entrance of Merriam Marketplace in honor of the five fallen Kansas City-area officers who died in the line of duty in Kansas since 2016.
The flags honor Kansas City, Kansas Police Capt. Robert Melton and Det. Brad Lancaster, Wyandotte County Sheriff's Deputies Patrick Rohrer and Theresa King, and Johnson County Sheriff’s Master Deputy Scott Collins. An anonymous donor paid for the flags and yellow dedication ribbons.
Each year, downtown Merriam and the surrounding area transforms into patriotic pride as Flags 4 Freedom organizers place more than 1,500 United States flags at the Merriam Marketplace, Irene B. French Community Center, and along Merriam and Johnson drives.
Everyone is invited to stop by Merriam Marketplace on Wednesday, July 4 at 1 p.m. to view the astonishing display and listen to the American Legion Band of Greater Kansas City perform a patriotic concert. The flag display ends at 10 a.m. on July 7.
Photos courtesy of Jim Russell.