Hundreds of Cub Scouts, Girl Scouts and Eagle Scouts will gather at Dayton National Cemetery this Memorial Day weekend to place flags on the graves of thousands of American Service members.
It’s a decades-long tradition and a right of passage for many Scouts.
Chaplin Clyde Hughes gave the invocation last year, and he noted some of the most famous soldiers resting at Dayton National Cemetery—like Christian Null, who fought in the Revolutionary War when he was just 12 years old.
Hughes also noted that the cemetery can be a lonely place.
“Many graves have not been visited since last year,” he said. “May we honor them today with their own flag. Perhaps say their names and understand that by honoring them, we honor ourselves.”
Katherine Deedon is a Girl Scout mom who brought her daughter Emma to place flags. She’d never attended before.
“I come from a military family,” Deedon said. “So, it's just really inspiring to see so many people give respect, especially on Memorial Day weekend.”
Deedon’s daughter, Emma, had a Girl Scout vest with so many patches on it, there was barely any space left.
“This one was for my pinewood derby,” she said. Pointing to other patches, she added, “this one was from planting trees, and this one was from this year. We made casserole for homeless people.”
There’s no patch to be earned at Dayton National Cemetery, but participants like Emma do get a pin. Gregg Neff has been passing those out since 1998.
Neff said that the American Legion prints out roughly 1,500 pins, and when you get that many Scouts in one place, you can get anything done quickly.
“You'd be surprised how, within a half hour, most of the graves are decorated,” Neff said.
Thousands and thousands of American flags are stored in huge plywood boxes, and each year, Jim Wuebker passes them out to the Scouts. Then, he watches as the participants fan out and get to work. He said it’s amazing to see the rolling hills of white tombstones turn red, white, and blue.
“Just to see the wave starting from the center point, just going out in 360 degrees,” he said. “They just grab them and go.”
Donald Merriman brought his children to the event.
“They're part of the Boy Scouts of America,” Merriman said. “And my daughters are part of the Girl Scouts of America. And we're just out here to honor all the veterans who served for Memorial Day.”
After an hour or so of working in 80 degree heat, Merriman’s daughter, Skylyr, was exhausted from planting flag after flag.
“It’s very hot,” she said. “It takes a long time because you have to put a bunch of flags on a bunch of gravestones, and it's very tiring.”
“It's a bit tedious, right?” her father said. “It can be a bit tedious, but it's a responsibility that we take on because we're here to honor our veterans that came before us. A little sweat and exhaustion doesn't equal what they put up for our country. They fought for us to be free and able to do this for them today.”
After listening to her father, Skylyr said, “Can I say something else?... Appreciate the people who served for your country and be grateful for everything.”
And lessons like that are the order of the day on Memorial Day weekend at Dayton National Cemetery.
The 2025 ceremony will start at 9 a.m. on Saturday, May 24. For more information, visit Miami Valley Scouting.
Veterans' Voices is supported by Wright-Patt Credit Union and the Montgomery County Veterans Service Commission.
