For decades the Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, and other teams have engaged a birthday component component to banging small American flags on the graves of veterans and those who gave the ultimate sacrifice to honor our country’s war heroes.
However, this year, the Department of Veterans Affairs banned public occasions at sites due to COVID-19. Boy Scouts and other teams were prevented from performing massive flag placement.
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On Long Island, New York, where more than 500,000 veterans are buried in two national army cemeteries, the AV is demanding and repealing the ban.
“If we can’t find a way to make sure we place flags on their graves to honor them, then something is wrong,” said Steve Bellone, director of Suffolk County, whose county includes the vast National Cemeteries of Calverton and Long Island, which have more veterans than any other army cemetery in the country. Fix adding Arlington National Cemetery.
Bellone is convinced that officials can put in place a plan to ensure the protection of Scouts.
“What we’re asking the AV is that having a general policy across the country, allowing national cemeteries locally, to take this resolution in collaboration with the local fitness department,” he told Fox News. We will assume a duty to say that this flag-placing plan follows national and national guidelines, but give us this opportunity to do so, let us honor our fallen heroes.
Each year, members of The 443 Boy Scout Troop on Middle Island, New York, place thousands of flags on the headstones at one of Suffolk’s sites, Calverton National Cemetery.
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For more than five years, Scout Eagle Kieran Monaghan, 18, has been one of the Boy Scouts who roamed the sacred floor and conscientiously placed an American flag next to every headstone. He is convinced that his troops will carry out their project this year, in complete safety, if given the opportunity.
“It is a very emotional and emotional experience. Personally, my father is a veteran, ”Monaghan told Fox News. “He was sent to Iraq for a year. It’s smart to be able to pay tribute to our fallen heroes, it’s vital to me, it’s vital to the Boy Scouts, it’s vital to the network, and c is anything you would hate to see happen.
The US National Cemetery Administration, the federal firm within the VA that manages the sites, told Fox News that due to the “national emergency, VA national cemeteries will host public Memorial Day events,” which they include the “mass placement of burial flags. “
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In a statement, the firm published that in the case of the Suffolk County location, “Long Island has still met the state’s reopening criteria, which is why the social media boundaries of long island meetings remain in effect. “
The firm added that “families and network members are encouraged to stop at national cemeteries on Memorial Day weekend and place individual flags on graves to honor their friends and family. We ask that all stopovers adhere to the CDC, state and local health, safety, and travel guidelines. Array “
Monaghan said he identified VA’s reluctance to allow the mass placement of flags, but believes that they can be carried out in accordance with precautions that oppose coronaviruses.
“It’s understandable to some extent, but I don’t think it’s far-fetched to be able to combine a plan so that we can achieve the same thing we’ve been doing year after year, following the rules of social estrangation, through having everyone masked, wearing gloves. It’s definitely feasible,” he said.
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“We have just commemorated Victory Day, this is the generation that lived the adversity of the Great Depression, won World War II. What will you say about our generation if we find a way to honor the older generation?through the blow of flags on their graves on Remembrance Day?Bellone asked.
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The Boy Scouts of America say Scouting prides itself on flag culture because the activity not only honors veterans, but at the same time Scouts “learn the importance of duty to the country and honor those who served it through the values set forth in the Oath and Scout Law.
The BSA says Scout troops will follow all local, state, and federal fitness guidelines, adding social distance.
“Our local councils will continue to monitor regulations in their domain and work with local government to honor fallen heroes in a way that protects the protection of our Scout volunteers, painters and communities,” the organization told Fox News in a statement.
“The BSA is running to coordinate a national effort to honor all of our fallen heroes on Memorial Day,” and the organization says it is also executing a plan that would allow “the public to succeed in us from home. “
Boy Scout troops from California, Maryland, Missouri and Wisconsin have also been among those who defected from plans to plant flags, at least for now.
“I hope we can put the flags on the graves and pay homage,” Monaghan said.
Fox News’ Ben Evansky contributed to this report.