'Someday, you will have to carry on for us'

On Saturday, April 27, volunteers from Warwick's American Legion Post 214 along with members of Boy Scout Troop 45 placed flags at the grave sites of local veterans.
Each year flags are also placed at veterans' graves in many smaller and private cemeteries within the Town of Warwick. The annual operation is conducted in preparation for upcoming Memorial Day ceremonies, which this year will be on Monday, May 29.
Scouts from Troop 38 will join the veterans at St. Stephen's Cemetery on May 4 to complete the job of placing more than 1,600 flags in all local cemeteries.
American Legion Post 214 Commander Jerry Schacher asked Ed Hodas to again chair the operation for the Flag Placement Committee, a position he's held for 25 years.
And a group of approximately 20 scouts and some parents and troop leaders served as volunteers.
During Memorial Day ceremonies in 2006, American Legion Post 214 Commander at that time, Walter Parkinson, mentioned the importance of placing flags on the graves of our veterans.
"You may have noticed," he told an audience of youngsters at that time, "we are old. Someday, you will have to carry on for us."
In response to that challenge, the members of local Boy Scout Troops offered to join the veterans in placing the flags. And since then, they have been present and willing each year to make sure that every veteran's grave in Warwick is identified by an American flag.
If anyone knows of a veteran whose grave site at St. Stephen's Cemetery, Warwick Cemetery or any local cemetery did not receive a flag, call American Legion Post 214 at 986-1290.
- Roger Gavan