~by Vicki Subbert for The Scranton Journal
Two years ago a friend mentioned her disappointment that there were no flags on the graves of all our veterans in the Scranton cemetery. That year we placed about a dozen flags on the graves of our friends and family. We quickly realized that there were so many who had none. This project was started then.
The Scranton Township trustees encouraged it and Deb Fey told me about the book she keeps updated in the Scranton Library listing the graves and who and where they are located. Mike Bierl, CVSO at the VA’s office in the Greene County courthouse gave me the list of 230 vets the VA has on record. Looking at the list we realized there were names missing. Going through the book of graves in our library added more veterans to our list. It also gave specific service details.
My husband, Mick, compiled all the information onto a spreadsheet. This May, with the map of our cemetery and the spreadsheet, we started walking the cemetery placing small flag stickers marking the veterans’ graves. We found additional veterans while walking the cemetery.
Cub Scout Pack 114 from Gidden including members from Scranton came on Saturday of Memorial Weekend to place 276 individual flags beside the grave markers. These flags were purchased for our veterans by the American Legion Post 11 from Jefferson. Mike Bierl let the Jefferson Post know about the project and Barb Labate, Adjutant of Post 11, contacted me. When our Scranton Legion Post closed, they gave their remaining funds to the Jefferson Post. Because of this, the Jefferson Post offered to purchase these flags. Each of these flags is marked and will be removed to use again.
If anyone knows of veterans who did not get a flag this year or graves that have a sticker that they feel were placed in error, please contact me, Vikki Subbert, 515-391-7001 and leave a message. This is a work in progress. We only mean to show respect to our veterans who gave their time and some their lives to serve our country. Any errors are mine.
