Annual Flagging of the Graves of Woodlawn’s Veterans

May 18

Colonel Gallagher is second from right.

Annual Flagging of the Graves of Woodlawn's Veterans. Saturday May 19th 10:00am. Arthur L. Gallagher, Colonel, Infantry, Old Guard of the City of New York

Every cemetery has its stories, poignant, inspiring, or simply sad. Most of them will never be known, but together they form the tapestry of our lives. From the small stone, marked simply “baby,” to the enormous memorial marked “God knows best,” each marker has a tale to tell. Some of the graves with the most touching stories are not marked at all, but each and every burial marks the final resting place of a person who was loved.

Veteran’s graves are special, because we owe our freedom to those who have fought for our country. We may not have known them, but we have an obligation to honor them. That is the meaning of Memorial Day. This Saturday May 19th we will be decorating Veteran's graves at The Woodlawn Cemetery. It is an activity that will be taking place all over the country, and at all of our local cemeteries, sometimes on an organized basis, and at other times by individuals.

Decorating veteran’s graves at Woodlawn is especially meaningful. Woodlawn is one of the most beautiful cemeteries anywhere, and the time spent placing the flags passes quickly. Sometimes you will recognize a name, or an organization, or some other information that can be gleaned from the headstone. It makes for an interesting morning. Afterwards, there is a light lunch, and a chance to relax: it is an end to a wonderful morning.

Last year 275 volunteers from the five boroughs and Westchester donated their time to place flags at the burial sites of thousands of veterans in Woodlawn’s care.  Watch the CBS 2 News segment.

Please help us alert your friends to this Saturday’s annual flagging of veterans' graves at The Woodlawn Cemetery. Participants should meet at the Jerome Avenue entrance at 10:00 a.m. All are welcome. Young, Old, Families, Alone, or in Groups. We hope to see you.