BATTLE CREEK, MI (WKZO AM/FM) — Memorial Day is not canceled seemed to be the theme of this year’s holiday as many still took time to honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice.
WOOD TV 8 is reporting that a group of Battle Creek-area volunteers spent time placing flags on Veteran graves Sunday.
The decision to place these flags themselves was made after traditional Memorial Day celebrations were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The flags were placed on graves at Fort Custer National Cemetery.
A fundraiser was made by local truck clubs to support the effort, and several volunteers pitched in with thousands of their own flags.
“We personally brought out 24,000 flags today to place on veterans’ graves,” Don Thursby of Gun Lake told WOOD TV 8. “We have a couple of other groups that have 9 – 14,000 flags themselves.”
In total, more than 38,000 flags were distributed across the cemetery.
Following the placement, the volunteer groups are now asking their participants to return Wednesday to help remove the flags before the area is landscaped.
