Spirit of 1776 revisited

The Stars and Stripes are flying proudly at Castaways Park in Newport Beach this weekend.

On Saturday, 1,776 American flags (echoing the nation’s founding in 1776) rippled in the breeze at the park overlooking Newport Harbor as veterans and their families visited for a flag dedication ceremony.

For the past six years, the Exchange Club of Newport Harbor has transformed Castaways Park into a weekend Field of Honor to pay tribute to military men and women for Armed Forces Day.

Armed Forces Day, commemorated each year on the third Saturday in May, celebrates past and present members of the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard.

Margaret Barker, 97, an Army nurse during World War II, led the Pledge of Allegiance during Saturday’s event.

The Newport Coast Choir sang the national anthem along with 93-year-old George Key, a descendant of Francis Scott Key, who wrote the poem that became “The Star-Spangled Banner.”

The Field of Honor helps raise thousands of dollars each year for military charities such as the Wounded Warrior Project and the Fisher House Foundation.

The event, which began Friday, continues through Sunday at Castaways Park, 700 Dover Drive. Admission is free.

—Hannah Fry