More than a headstone VETERANS POST

Twice a year in national cemeteries across the country, veterans are honored with ceremonies and visits. Memorial Day has long been the day to honor those who died in service to our country. Now, with the generous donations of Worcester Wreath and the non-profit Wreaths Across America, tens of thousands of veterans' graves also are decorated at Christmas … as they should be. But I have a challenge for you. We all live near a cemetery or two. Small cemeteries dot communities across the country, and many of them don't get the attention they deserve. Some are not tended well nor visited often.

My challenge to you is this: Investigate a local cemetery and identify the graves of a half-dozen veterans. The older the grave, the better, as there will not likely be family that visits. Note the names and dates of birth of those half-dozen veterans (as well as the locations, should the cemetery be large).

Take the graves of those veterans into your care. Visit each grave at least twice a year, and not on the days that others will — Memorial Day and during the Christmas season. Pick another day, as well as the veteran's birthday.

This project needn't cost much. Check your local big-box or craft stores for small flags, perhaps 4 by 6 inches, on sticks. Or look online for sites such as www.united-states-flag.com (877-734-2458). Its flags are made in the U.S.A. The 4-by-6inch flags on 10-inch wooden sticks cost as low as 15 cents each.

Take along a pair of clippers and trim around the headstone. Take the kids or grandkids along, if you wish, and teach them about honoring veterans.

Then, issue the same challenge to others. It's the right thing to do.