Warrior’s Weekend posts 134 Texas flags for Kerrville victims
Published 7:15 am Sunday, July 20, 2025
This week, volunteers with the Field of Honor did what they always do—they went out into the field and posted flags. But this time, the motivation was a little different, and the mood was somber.
Each Texas flag held in volunteers’ hands symbolized a life lost in the floods in the Texas Hill Country.
“We knew we needed to do something,” Colonel Mike Petrash, director of Warrior’s Weekend’s Field of Honor, said. “This is what we do out here—we honor people and this is our way of honoring those who have died in the disaster.”
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It’s hard to conceptualize 134, but standing at the Field of Honor, surrounded by the waving colors of the Texas flag, it’s easier to visualize the gravity of the lives lost in Kerr County. Around each flag is a green ribbon, serving as a sign of support and remembrance of the families in Kerrville.
“For the time they were here on Texas soil, they were Texans,” Petrash said.
Instead of an American flag to represent the service of veterans, many of the 134 flags posted at the field represent the lives of children lost while making happy memories at summer camp, families swept out of the comfort of their beds and into the roaring waters of the Guadalupe River.
“When we post flags for Warrior’s Weekend, not all of the flags are posted in memory of a veteran,” Petrash said. “This time, every flag is for someone who has died.”
Petrash and his team of volunteers are hoping to place more Texas flags on the field to represent the loved ones left unaccounted for. Like in the military, a yellow ribbon will signify those still missing. As more and more bodies are found, the team of volunteers will continue to add flags onto the field.
“Every one of those flags represents an empty seat at the table,” Petrash said. “Just think about how terrified those children were and the everyday heroes you gave their lives to try and save others. It’s just heartbreaking.”
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Petrash hopes residents will take the time to come to see the Field of Honor and the 134 Texas flags, and to take a moment to pray and remember the lives lost.
“We are showing that we are a community of honor and excellence and that we share in that community’s grief,” Petrash said. “If there’s more we can do, we’ll do it.”
Volunteers from Warrior’s Weekend have already made multiple trips to Kerr County to deliver donations and aid in recovery efforts.
“Go out to the field and stand next to the cross on the hill. You can look out over the field and see what 134 casualties looks like,” Petrash said.
Madison O’Hara is a news reporter for the Victoria Advocate. You can reach her at madison.ohara@vicad.com.