Volunteers began preparations Friday for the Memorial Day ceremony at the Dayton National Cemetery, the first time the event is happening again after a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic.
Volunteers hoisted up about 300 flag poles with state and American flags, lining the looping roadway at the cemetery.
Thomas Jones, commander of the Dayton National Cemetery Honor Squad, said he chose to volunteer to honor and remember the veterans.
“Most people consider [Memorial Day] a holiday and another day off, but it is truly to honor all of the veterans that have passed in war,” he said. “The United States military has, we have provided freedoms and continue to fight to protect our homeland and the freedoms that we all enjoy.”
Doug Ledbetter, director of the Dayton National Cemetery, said his staff has been constantly monitoring the level of COVID-19 infections in the community ahead of the weekend of events, and is glad to be able to move forward with their plans after all of the preparation.
“I really think [the events] encourage patriotism, just a great feeling of being an American, what it means to be an American, and most importantly the cost of freedom,” he said. “Because when you come out here on this 113 acre property and over 59,000 gravesites, that is the cost of freedom. And I think it’s very important that we reflect on that and honor that.”
On Saturday, around 2,000 Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts will place small American flags at each gravesite, close to 60,000 flags in total. A ceremony will begin beforehand at 9:30 a.m.
The Memorial Day ceremony will begin at 11 a.m. Monday. The cemetery will be closed to traffic from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m., but shuttles will be available to transport visitors from the parking area to the ceremony.
Volunteers can help with taking down flag poles and folding flags beginning at 9 a.m. on Tuesday.
