The tradition of the Stations of the Cross reminds Christians of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Garrett Johnson of Troop 81 in Tulsa, Okla., was inspired by that concept for his Eagle Scout project.

He created the “Stations of the Flag” display for the Folds of Honor Foundation, an Oklahoma-based nonprofit that provides scholarships to spouses and children of fallen and disabled military service members.

The Johnson family used to go to church with Dan Rooney, the founder of Folds of Honor. Driving home from a Scout meeting one night, Garrett and his dad discussed doing something for the foundation and remind others of the sacrifice service members have made.

“I liked that idea and kind of ran with it and developed it from there,” Garrett says.

He received this year’s Glenn A. and Melinda W. Adams National Eagle Scout Service Project of the Year Award.

Folds of the flag

Garrett built 13 metal boxes outside where the foundation is based at the Patriot Golf Club in Owasso, Okla. Each box would hold an American flag, depicting each fold of a flag-folding ceremony. Each fold has meaning, according to the American Legion. They represent tributes to the country, its armed forces and fallen veterans.

The boxes would also include plaques describing the meaning of each fold. Special care and designing was taken to ensure the boxes would be weather-proof, but still allow air in to prevent condensation from accumulating inside.

Each box was lined with LED lights and solar cells to power them; that way, each flag would be illuminated as described in the U.S. Flag Code.

“We wanted people to come and see the project, day or night,” Garrett says.

Folds of Honor hosts field trips and golfing events, so the project can serve as an educational and inspirational place to visit.

While it only took a little over a week to install the display, it required many hours of planning. In total, Garrett led 18 youth and adults, who helped contribute to the more than 300 work hours that the project demanded.

You can watch the end result of Garrett’s project in the video below: