Working together to honor our veterans

The service of Randolph County veterans were commemorated through the placement of flags this past Memorial Day weekend but the work could not have been accomplished without the ideas, organization and hard work of volunteers.

Leonard Leathers and his wife Dorothy spent over 50 years placing flags on the graves of veterans in Memorial Park Cemetery. Not only did they take the time to make sure veterans were honored with flags, but they compiled a log with veterans’ names and the location of each.

Last year at age 95, Mr. Leathers decided it was time to hand down the duties to someone else. Taking up the mantle were members of VFW Post 2654. Harold Headrick, Jr. said they placed 619 flags last year and there were additions to that this year. Headrick enlisted the help of, not only the VFW this year, but also members of the Magic City 4-H Club.

In Oakland Cemetery the flags are bigger, lining the drives of the cemetery. These flags wave in thanks to the Veterans Flag Project.

According to Dorothy Latson, commander at VFW Post 2654, 150 flags flew Memorial Day with 141 sponsored. Flags can be sponsored for $150 to honor any veteran either living or deceased. This price includes the cost of the flag, pole, a plaque noting the veteran’s name and military service.

Memorializing veterans was the brainchild of two individuals: Mary Wolf and Phil Merry. These individuals went to the VFW, American legion, city council meetings, worked with city staff, and spoke to area civic organizations in order to get support for the idea which became the Veteran’s Flag Project. Flags went up for the first time last year on July 4th.

This year, community volunteers, members of the VFW, and Boy Scout Troop 14 pitched in to raise the flags on the first flag-flying holiday of the year. For the Independence Day holiday, a short program will take place at the cemetery at 1 p.m., July 3.