BRIGHTON, N.Y. -- Hundreds of flags will line a part of Blossom Road for the next week honoring the service of veterans and first responders. The flags are also helping give others a chance to learn.

"When they say don't forget, this is what this means to me," said Sue Clifford Alvut.

When Alvut heard about the flags going up on the Mercy Center campus, she knew she wanted to get one in her father's name.

"My Dad was in the Philippines during WWII. Then he was recalled for the Korean War. Our lives have been very much interrupted over the years by my father being in WWII, in the Korean War and my brother in Vietnam. I don't forget what sacrifices he made, what sacrifices my brother made and and my whole family made to protect our country," said Alvut.

Each flag at the Field of Honor bears the name of a veteran or first responder. Organizers held a ceremony on 9/11 to honor their service and to kick off the week that these flags will remain there. The money from the purchase of the flags, $10,000, will benefit Mercy Bridges, a program that teaches people to read and write.

"I have veterans that are my volunteers who do the tutoring and they have for eight years. It was to honor their work as a second and third career," said Natalie Depew with Mercy Bridges.

Ahmed Mustafa, a paramedic and West Webster firefighter, was invited to speak Friday. He volunteered down at Ground Zero in what they called the Hot Zone, just days after the attacks. Ahmed is Muslim and admits in those first moments after the attacks, he was worried. That all soon changed.

"When I walked down there you'd be amazed. I had Mustafa on my hat on my jacket, no one gave me a second look. They embraced me they all accepted my help. They hugged me when I needed it. I hugged them when they needed it. We are brothers," said Mustafa.

Iit's been 14 years but Mustafa, Alvut and all the others here said they haven't and won't forget the tragedy of that day and so much good that came after it.

"We pulled together as a community. We pulled together as nation. It didn't matter your religion, it didn't matter your gender, if didn't matter your political beliefs but when people needed help we did it. And we still do it," said Mustafa.