The "Avenue of Freedom" displays 1.5 miles of American Flags honoring the sacrifices of America's Veterans.
Long before it became the popular entertainment destination it has become, Branson, Missouri has had a heart for Veterans, active duty members of the Armed Forces and their families. Honoring them is just an inherent part of the Branson spirit. It honors them in a myriad of ways, some big like the annual week long “Veterans Homecoming,” but most are more subtle like the honoring of Veterans at most of its shows, the “Veterans Memorial Garden,” individual businesses sponsoring events such as “Hand-in-Hand Branson Honors Purple Heart Recipients” and the “Avenue of Freedom.”
On a beautiful clear Ozarks day, with a light breeze, one of the most beautiful sights in the Ozarks is the driving under the seemingly endless rows of American Flags flying from the light poles on the meridian of Gretna Road, or more appropriately, that portion of Gretna Road called “The Avenue of Freedom.” On November 14, 2001, the Branson Board of Alderman designated a 1.5 mile portion of Gretna Road, from its intersection with State Highway 248 west toward its intersection with Roark Valley Road, as the “Avenue of Freedom.” The purpose of the designation was “to honor our Veterans from past wars, our heroes who gave their lives for freedom and those who died in the attacks on September 11, 2001.
The “Avenue of Freedom” is a simple memorial consisting of two 3’ x 5’ weather resistant American Flags flying from each of the light poles going down the meridian of the road for about 1.5 miles. The flags are maintained by the Branson Veterans Task Force and are displayed from April 1 through December 22. The flags are taken down in December because of the possibility of extreme weather conditions during the winter months.
The unique thing about the “Avenue of Freedom” is that all the flags and associated maintenance are paid for by donations from individuals and private companies. Individuals or companies can sponsor a flag for $50.00 or make donations of any amount to the Branson Veterans Task Force for the program. They may be contacted by phone at 417-337-8387 or via their website www.BransonVeterans.com.
Signs designating the “Avenue of Freedom” are located in the meridian at each end of the avenue where the display of the flags starts and ends. The combination of all the flags waving over the “Avenue of Freedom” is at the same time a beautiful and inspiring site and yet humbling because of the sacrifices that have been made on the behalf of the country the flags represent and the freedom we all enjoy.
In an effort to enhance the Branson experience through a “bit” of information about the area we love and service, BTC Branson Bits is sponsored by the Branson Tourism Center (BTC). BTC is one of Branson’s largest and most respected vacation planning services and sellers of Branson show and attraction tickets and lodging. BTC can be reached by calling 800-875-1550 or by visiting their website www.BransonTourismCenter.com.
