‘It’s a way to say thanks for their service’
Shelby Burkett, left, uses a metal pole to soften the ground as Bria Jamison, right, and Adia Eilam prepare to place an American flag at the headstone of a veteran at Greene County Memorial Park.
Tom Shumaker, adjutant of Filer-Sadlek American Legion Post 954 in Jefferson, gives directions to nearly a dozen Jefferson-Morgan students who volunteered Friday morning to help place flags at the graves of veterans buried at Greene County Memorial Park.
Caitlyn Dugan and Zack Gamble place a flag at a gravesite Friday morning.
JEFFERSON – A simple gesture of placing American flags beside the headstones of every veteran buried at Greene County Memorial Park had added meaning to Jefferson-Morgan students who joined area veterans to decorate the gravesites before Memorial Day.
For most of the 11 middle school students who spent their Friday morning at the cemetery in Morgan Township, the volunteer work was personal to them, with many saying it was a way to honor their relatives who served.
“It’s a family thing because it honors him,” said Bria Jamison, whose grandfather served in Vietnam.
Bria worked in a team with fellow eighth-graders Shelby Burkett and Adia Eilam as they scouted for veterans’ grave before using a long metal pole to soften the spot where the flag was inserted. All three girls said they had grandfathers who served, making the occasion especially personal.
“It’s a way to say thanks for their service,” Adia said.
Tom Shumaker, adjutant of Filer-Sadlek American Legion Post 954 in Jefferson, has been with the post for 34 years, but he said the overall tradition of placing flags at the gravesites dates to immediately following World War II. The post has enlisted the help of Jefferson-Morgan students the past six or seven years, Shumaker said.
He gave instructions to the students before sending them off into the cemetery to help the post and a few other veterans groups.
“If the flag looks OK, not faded, you can leave it alone,” Shumaker told the group if they encounter a grave that is already decorated with a flag from an earlier date.
Memorial Day was originally known as Decoration Day, and began following the Civil War as a way to remember the war dead and decorate their graves.
Robert Harry, a member of the American Legion post in Jefferson, appreciated the help from the students.
“We need the help,” he said. “It’s great for their service.”
Most of the students who come each year are “first-timers,” and so it’s an opportunity for the living veterans to connect with the younger generation, Shumaker said.
“The kids learn respect for the flag, respect for the veterans. They see the sacrifices they’ve made during a point of their lives,” he said. “They get to see the number of vets buried in Greene County and respect the men and women who have served their country.”
By Shumaker’s personal count, there are 1,642 veteran interred here, although only a small number died in combat. It took the groups about two hours to decorate all of the graves.
Most of the students might not be aware of the sacrifices made during World War II or even Vietnam, Shumaker said, since these students were born after the 9/11 attacks and grew up through perpetual war.
“Their entire lifetime is Iraq and Afghanistan.” Shumaker said.
But earlier wars touched these students, as well. As Caitlyn Dugan and Zack Gamble worked a few rows away from their classmates, they paused for a moment to reflect on what it meant to help remember the veterans.
“It’s giving back to the community and veterans,” said Caitlyn, whose grandfather served. “It means something.”
“To honor everyone that has fought for our country,” Zack added.