CONTRIBUTED BY
JOE MATTINGLY
AUBURN —
On the dreary, rainy evening of May 23, Scouts BSA Troop 11 gathered at Auburn Memorial Park Cemetery to continue an annual tradition that dates back more years than can be remembered: placing American flags on the graves of our nation’s veterans for Memorial Day.
The scouts from Troop 11 and Troop 19 routinely place small American flags on the graves of veterans in Auburn City Cemetery, behind the junior high school, the Tuesday before Memorial Day.
The scouts slowly search the headstones, bend, insert a small flag into the soft earth, step back and snap a crisp salute. They then continue the search, scanning for another of our nation’s heroes. Then, they perform the same routine: bend, insert, step, salute and repeat.
All told, these scouts distributed more than 150 flags on that rainy evening. By the time they finished, their hair and shoes were soaked. Their normally light tan shirts were wet and dark, but none complained; they understood the importance of remembering the sacrifice of the fallen.
“It is just a small way of us giving back to the community, acknowledging the service and sacrifice these men and women made so that we can live in freedom,” said Scoutmaster Julie Stanley.
Scouts Zak S., Joe M., Westin M. and Andrew J. agreed, adding, “A little rain doesn’t matter, when you think about it.”
Come the Tuesday after Memorial Day, these same scouts met again at the cemetery, walked the same paths and solemnly collected the flags they placed a week before, reverently packing them away until next year.