A few weeks ago, on the Saturday before Memorial Day on May 30, approximately 30 volunteers, including veterans, active duty military personnel and local citizens gathered at Groton’s Colonel Ledyard Cemetery to place American flags at the headstones of United States veterans buried there.

This national Memorial Day tradition dates back to the Civil War and is a day of remembrance for those who have died in the service of the United States of America. It also provides an opportunity to remember all of those who have served in the military service for our country. This year, approximately 700 flags were placed at veteran gravesites at the cemetery.

For the past 20-plus years, George Hyland, a retired Navy Chief Petty Officer and a member of Branch 20 of the Fleet Reserve Association in Groton, has been organizing groups of volunteers to place flags at the military veterans’ burial sites at both the Colonel Ledyard and Star Hill cemeteries in Groton. The flags have been purchased through generous donations provided by both the Town and City of Groton and the United Steel Workers Union Local 9411.

Come rain or shine, the volunteers respectfully place a new flag in the ground at the headstone of the veteran or in special veteran flag holders next to the stones. The tattered and used flags removed from the gravesite were properly disposed of by the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 189 in New London.

Unfortunately, due to the exposure to weather or other unforeseen conditions, many of the flags do not last for an extended period of time. Often times flags have been lost or removed prior to being replaced the following Memorial Day. This absence of an older flag creates a great deal of difficulty for volunteers in their task of locating many veteran gravesites.

There are gravesites which display special veteran gravestone markers or veteran flag holders which help volunteers identify where to place a flag; however, if the site does not display the special stone marker or flag holder or, if the flag has been removed, the site is regrettably overlooked.

For various reasons, special veteran gravestones and/or flag holders have not been provided for a considerable number of the veteran gravesites at the Colonel Ledyard Cemetery.

In an effort to ensure that each and every military veteran buried at the Colonel Ledyard Cemetery is remembered and recognized, a special program, organized by Branch 20 of the Groton Fleet Reserve and the Colonel Ledyard Cemetery Associations, has been initiated to raise funds to purchase veteran flag holders for veteran gravesites at the cemetery. Eight hundred flag holders will be purchased at a cost of close to $10,000. Once purchased, the flag holders will be installed, at no cost, at veteran gravesites at the Colonel Ledyard Cemetery.

The Fleet Reserve and Colonel Ledyard Cemetery Associations are asking readers of this article for support in raising the necessary funds to complete this project. Donation checks should be made out to FRA Branch 20, with the words “Vets Markers” written in the memo line, and then mailed to Branch 20, Fleet Reserve Association, 242 Thames St., Groton, CT 06340.

Relatives and friends of veterans buried at the Colonel Ledyard Cemetery are also asked to check to determine whether or not the grave of their relative or friend has a veteran’s flag holder. If there is not one at the graveside, please email at Vetsmarkers@gmail.com to relay the full name and exact location in the cemetery where the particular veteran is buried so arrangements can be made to place one at that location.

For additional information or questions, please contact the Veterans Grave Marker Program at (860) 445-7361.

Jim Streeter is Groton Town historian.