Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
Memorial Day tribute
Local veterans honor those who paid ultimate sacrifice
The graveyard was awash with red, white and blue as a gentle wind tugged and pulled at hundreds of American flags.
Veterans were busy last week at St. Agnes Cemetery lovingly placing some of 144 dozen flags on the graves of veterans.
Later, seven members of West Chester VFW Post 106 moved down the hill and planted flags next door at Oakland’s Cemetery.
The yearly event coincides with Memorial Day, or what was formerly referred to as Decoration Day.
American Legion posts, the VFW, the Marine Corps League, Disabled American Veterans and other groups place flags on many of 38,000 veteran’s graves in the county. The Chester County Veteran’s Affairs office funds the annual purchase of 16,000 flags for 15 cemeteries.
Vietnam U.S. Army veteran Ralph Forrest, a member of VFW Post 106, has been placing flags on graves for the past 38 years. He regularly took a vacation day to serve fellow vets.
“To not forget the veterans is the most important thing,” Forrest said. “I want to give back. It makes me feel like I’m doing a little something.
“To not forget the veterans is the most important thing. I want to give back. It makes me feel like I’m doing a little something.” — Vietnam U.S. Army veteran Ralph Forrest, a member of VFW Post 106
“I came back (from Vietnam) with all my limbs. I’m glad I have two arms and two legs.”
U.S. Airforce Vietnam vet Mike Ricci has stooped over hundreds of times prior to Memorial Day, while placing Old Glory on graves, for about three years.
“I want to give back,” he said. “We were the lucky ones who make it back. Our last obligation – we don’t want to forget.”
Ricci said the time spent distributing the flags is a time for him to remember and contemplate the sacrifice made by family members who served.
Forrest talked about what the Stars and Stripes means to him.
“It meant so much when overseas — the pride — so much respect,” he said. “You respect her even more when she’s flying overseas.”
The seven volunteers methodically go up and down rows of tombstones. They juggle flags. Under one arm are year-old flags ready for retirement. Held with the other arm are the new flags.
Bronze markers with a spot to place the cloth flags sparkle in the sun and sit on about a third of the graves at St. Agnes Cemetery. The particular war a veteran served in is listed on the marker.
Oftentimes, when a bronze marker is missing, tombstones will list a former veteran’s status. Lawrence Davidson, director of the Chester County Veteran’s Affairs Office said that the county is busy creating what will become a publicly searchable data base to access the location of vet’s gravesites.
World War II vets first taught Forrest the importance of placing flags on graves. He wants to pass that knowledge on to younger vets.
“It’s up to us to teach the Iraqi and Afghanistan soldiers so they don’t forget,” he said. “We want them to have it better than us when they come back and to feel comfortable so we don’t lose veteran’s benefits. If you don’t use them, you lose them.”
Vietnam veteran John O’Neal wrote in a release that vets are trying to get students and younger people involved.
“Having the kids help saves knees and backs,” O’Neal said.