My husband is a Marine, and he and the Marine Corp Group, in Oakhurst and the VFW are putting up the Casket Flags at the Little Church on the Hill in Oakhurst, Ca. I don't have pictures of that because they are there and I am at home. I get very teary eyed when watching flags fly. I hope they get photos that I can pass on to you.
This year the community has volunteered to help. The Flag poles have the names of Military that have passed on. It is a wonderful sight when all 60 are standing straight up the road with the Little Church in the middle of them. The Boy Scouts usually place flags on the graves also. It is an amazing sight, and a tribute. We hope in the future to continue this celebration in the Cemetery and they will keep these flags flying.
There is one flag that is a bit different, and it is my fathers flag. We fly the American flag on top and the Netherlands Flag under it. My father was a Col. in the Netherlands Air Force. It is a long story of why both flags. He ran a Military flight school in Indonesia for about 14 years. When the Japanese attacked Hawaii, the flight school had to leave, but where to go. There was a war on in Europe, so the U.S.A. gave them space to train in Jackson Miss, and in Kansas. All the men, planes and equipment came to Miss. and later flew to Australia and fought the war from there, that is the shortened version of the story.
I am sure there are stories for each of the flags flying in the Cemetery today. Usually the men ans women go to all the Cemeteries in the mountains of Madera. Including two of the Native Americans Cemeteries in this area. But this year the others are closed. They perform the Military Ceremony at each one. The flags at the Oakhurst one are taken down at 4PM today,
These flags are very delicate and can not be up in the rain. Thankfully today is a beautiful, warm sunny day.
I hope you have a wonderful day, sharing Zoom with family and friends. Or perhaps some barbequed ribs.
A new now, but we respect our past, and remember those that have passed on.
A hug entwines separate threads of emotion to form a sturdy cord of Appreciation.
Nice Memorial Story. In my family the men either died young, or managed to skip being a part of every single war. Not sure of all the circumstance as to why or how.... So I have been sheltered and ignorant about the service life. I hear so many stories of our heros that make me wish I knew more, sometimes.
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