FAYETTEVILLE — Fayetteville held the Field of Honor opening ceremony on Saturday morning.

The Downtown Alliance hosted the fifth annual ceremony, partnering with the Airborne and Special Operations museum for the first time. Both military and civilians purchased flags to honor loved ones both living and deceased.

"This is a great honor, to know that what he did for our country," said sister of honored soldier Veronica Bailey.

The flags provided the backdrop for Saturday's ceremony marking the opening of the field this year. Some of those honored during the ceremony included soldiers like Ashley White-Stumpf, who was killed in Afghanistan in 2011.

He husband Capt. Jason Stumpf placed a flag in her honor.

"It means a lot to me. It shows the type of person she was. That she was able to affect so many people to get recognized to have a flag placed," said Capt. Stumpf.

Hundreds of flags will line the parade ground outside the museum from now until the end of June. The 3x5 flags stand eight ft. tall and bear the name of a person that anyone would like to honor.

Proceeds benefit the Airborne and Special Operations museum.