Latest news with #AmericanFlags
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Meaning of Memorial Day not lost on volunteers at veterans' cemetery
SUFFOLK, Va. — On Thursday, volunteers at the Albert G. Horton Jr. Memorial Veterans Cemetery began preparing the grounds for its Memorial Day ceremony, among them Virginia Natural Gas employees, Boy Scouts, a Marine and about 150 others. But they all had one mission: place an American flag in front of every grave. As the third-busiest state veterans cemetery in the country, with about eight burials per day, the volunteers had a lot of ground to cover —14,449 graves to be exact. Since retiring from the Navy last year, it was Donald Boylen II's first time volunteering. 'When you turn around and look — not just the volunteers — … it gets me choked up a little bit because the pride of the red, white and blue,' Boylen said. Sacrificing two hours of their time to give back to those that sacrificed everything. 'It's a lovely sight to see,' says cemetery superintendent and veteran Angela Bufano. 'But understanding why you're seeing it means more.' Known as the unofficial start of summer, this holiday weekend is circled on the calendar for a vacation or backyard barbecue. But for veterans and families of the fallen, it takes on an entirely different meaning. 'I didn't think I'd get choked up,' Boylen said. 'But it reminds me of what the brotherhood and sisterhood was.' Sean Cooper is a grounds and maintenance worker at the cemetery. He also has family buried there. 'I got grandparents that are buried out here, aunts, uncles,' Cooper said. 'It gives me more of a push to want to take care of the grounds. I would do it anyway, but being that they're out here gives me more of a satisfying reason to be here.' Bufano said many of her friends' kids are buried at the cemetery. 'I try hard not to think about it,' she said. 'It's rough, but it's why we're here.' Before you head back to work tomorrow after a relaxing weekend with friends and family, Bufano had a simple request. 'I just wish everyone could take a moment and reflect on why we are who we are, why we have the freedoms we have,' Bufano said, 'and think about our fallen heroes.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Scouts honor fallen heroes with flags at San Bruno national cemetery
The Brief Scouts placed nearly 49,000 American flags at Golden Gate National Cemetery in San Bruno to honor fallen service members. The Memorial Day tradition has been ongoing for over 70 years. SAN BRUNO, Calif. - On Memorial Day weekend, hundreds of Boy and Girl Scouts gathered at Golden Gate National Cemetery to plant American flags in nearly 49,000 graves, honoring those who served and died in the U.S. armed forces. The longstanding tradition brought together volunteers, families, veterans, and community leaders to reflect on the cost of freedom. The cemetery is the final resting place of 15 Medal of Honor recipients and thousands more who served in conflicts dating back to World War II. Among the scouts participating was Puneeth Salgundi, who shared the significance of the day. "We have to recognize those who fought for our freedom, those who allowed us to live in such a great nation, and it feels so good just to plant all these flags and show our appreciation for all they've done for this nation," he said. Lorenzo Domingo is a senior patrol leader who has taken part in the event since his Cub Scout days. "We tend to forget sometimes about the people who served and, honestly, it's saddening but yet honorable," Domingo said. Many families have made the flag-planting tribute a yearly tradition. Cristen Martin, a parent of a scout, said the event helps young people understand the deeper meaning behind the long weekend. "I think I feel like the boys develop a sense of feeling like they belong to a community, so it's not just about themselves," Martin said. "I hope they take away an understanding that they have what they have because of what somebody else did for them. Both my father and my grandfather fought in different wars." Scoutmaster David Morgan, a Vietnam War Navy veteran who has participated in the event since 1972, said his hope is to pass on that sense of appreciation. "Pride and knowing that what they can have and do is all due to these people out here that have given their all for us to be able to participate and enjoy life as we do here in America," Morgan said. In addition to the ceremony in San Bruno, scouts participated in a similar flag-planting event at the Presidio in San Francisco.
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Flags placed at veterans graves in Edgewood Cemetery
ASHTABULA TOWNSHIP — More than 40 high school football players from Edgewood and Lakeside high schools got up early to place American flags at the graves of veterans. The Ashtabula American Legion coordinated the event, and numerous veterans assisted in the operation that began just after 9 a.m. Sunday. A veteran led the Pledge of Allegiance, and the athletes quickly found veterans' graves and added the flags. The week prior to Memorial Day is usually very busy in area cemeteries, as families fix up graves of relatives, and cemetery workers mow lawns from Conneaut to Orwell and Geneva to Andover. Veterans also explained the sacrifice soldiers had made in the wars fought by area veterans over the country's history, including several that participated in the Revolutionary War.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Volunteers place American Flags on veterans' graves at National Cemetery, Rock Island
Hundreds of people of all ages – some of them Scouts, some of them veterans themselves – placed American Flags on the 28,000 graves of veterans at the National Cemetery, Rock Island. The headstones of fallen service members were decorated in honor of Memorial Day. Work to place the flags began at 4 p.m. . Hot dogs were served to participants and volunteers at the conclusion of flag placement. Work to remove the flags begins at 8 a.m. Tuesday, May 28, weather permitting. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Dozens of Scouts lay 6,000 flags across graves of United States Veterans in Appleton ahead of Memorial Day
APPLETON, Wis. (WFRV) – Ahead of Memorial Day, local Scouts gathered in Appleton to lay American Flags across thousands of veterans' graves. Over 50 Scouts helped during the process, as about 6,000 United States flags were laid in memory of those who paid the ultimate price. Corvettes of the Bay honors fallen heroes ahead of Memorial Day The event was held at the Appleton Highland Memorial Park Cemetery from 4 p.m. until 6 p.m. Memorial Day is on Monday, May 26, as the nation pays homage to the sacrifice of those who served. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
