Every Memorial Day since 1932, the Benjamin D. Cushing VFW Post 2425 members have led groups of scouts and residents to the cemeteries in Marion to plant flowers at all the graves of departed veterans.
This year, with its truckloads of red geraniums and Boy and Girl Scouts scampering across the Evergreen Cemetery, was no different than prior years – except perhaps for the heaviness of hearts of some of the few remaining members of VFW Post 2425 which, by this time next year, will likely be dissolved.
The community, though, as well as the Marion Recreation Department and the Marion Firefighters’ Association, stepped up this year to show their support for the VFW, its tradition, and the memory of our fallen heroes, and they have pledged to carry out the tradition in the coming years so that each veteran’s grave has a flag and a flower every Memorial Day.
“This is a big turnout,” said Donna Hemphill, assisting Selectman and Director of Recreation Jody Dickerson with the task. Hemphill has been participating in the tradition with her daughters for some years now. “It’s important, especially now with the VFW closing. It’s sad. I feel it’s important to continue on and make sure my girls know that it’s important.”
The participants wasted no time in mobilizing their groups with flats of geraniums, dashing off in every direction seeking out the gravesites still without a flower. DPW workers followed up by putting the flowers in the ground and making sure they were watered.
Girl Scout Emma Peterson and her mother carefully placed the red flowers at each grave along their path, one after the next, and paused to reflect on the tradition.
“It’s important to support our veterans,” said Peterson.
VFW Post 2425 is one of the few posts that goes beyond the placement of flags at the graves and plants flowers, said VFW member Demi Barros.
This day of planting flowers, said Barros, has always been a day he looked forward to. Looking to fellow VFW member Rodney Hunt, Barros said the two of them had known many VFW Post 2425 members since 1967, and also before that as a Cub Scout himself participating in the tradition.
“Thirty years ago, I remember they had 40, 50 guys strong,” said Hunt. “Now we’ve got to do everything just to get ten.”
Modern-day vets, said Hunt, return sometimes from two or three deployments to Iraq or Afghanistan and when they come home, they struggle to put their lives back together, not so much thinking about joining the local VFW.
“The VFW means a lot to me and I hate to see the situation,” said Barros. “We’re just not getting any new members.”
Barros took note of the high participation this year and took a moment to thank the town for stepping up to continue the VFW tradition.
“This means a lot to us because, for the VFW, it may be our last year to memorialize the veterans who paid the supreme sacrifice,” said Barros. “But the Marion Firefighters’ Association with the Marion Rec, with Jody Dickerson and Donna Hemphill, are going to take over and the whole Memorial Day services.”
Dickerson took a look around at the cemetery grounds at the turnout, which was higher this year than last year, and simply stated, ““I think it’s awesome.”
“After all the years that the VFW has done this, it’s important to keep it going,” said Dickerson.
By Jean Perry