HANCOCK COUNTY – As Memorial Day approaches, members of the Honor Guard and many others prepare for the annual Avenue of Flags, with this year adding spots for those recognized for their dedication of service.
Bob Workman, U.S. Marine Corps Vietnam War veteran, has been working with the decades-old tradition and said they revamped the ceremony when the Greenfield Veterans Honor Guard took over in 2007 to have a more uniform appearance, replacing approximately 150 flags and redoing the placement holes for each of the flags.
Workman said that at Park Cemetery, located off South State Street, there is room for 1,000 flags to be placed, but they are looking to add more spots available to honor fallen soldiers.
Working with the Greenfield Street Department, Workman said they have added approximately 50 new spots this year, working their way to a total of 1,200 spots. The street department also helps with the setup and tear down of the display of flags, having a lunch pitch-in to show their appreciation.
“We would have enough expansion for 25 years and then I’m going to let somebody else worry about it,” said Workman with a laugh.
So far this year, Workman said they are planning to display 835 flags with approximately eight new flags added to the total, but they are still hoping to add a few more before the application deadline of May 1.
With the application comes a one-time fee of $75, which Workman says covers the cost of the flag, additional equipment and helps replace flags throughout the years as they become weathered and worn.
With flags being flown, each honored veteran gets a set of dog tags listing the veteran’s name, branch of service and years served.
Workman also mentioned that, using an index system, each flag is placed in the same spot each year, allowing family to know where their veteran’s flag is when they visit.
Within the 800-some honored veterans, Workman said that 11 veterans were Hancock County residents that passed in Vietnam, and some flags even honor veterans from wars in the 1700s – something Workman said is a neat aspect of being able to honor those who have passed.
“It just kind of, you know, takes your breath away when you walk the walk or drive through there,” said Workman, mentioning people of the community have asked why they can’t keep the flags on display longer than the designated time frame of two weeks, to which he points out the challenge of mowing around more than 800 flags.
Setting up of the flags will begin May 17 with a ceremony on Memorial Day. They take the flags down on May 31.
People can purchase flags to honor their loved ones by filling out an application and sending it in with the $75 fee. The applications can be found at the cemetery office and the Hancock County Veterans Service Office.
To have a flag honoring a veteran to be included in this years ceremony, the deadline to submit an application is May 1.
“It’s just so reverent for all of the all the veterans that are there, and you know, to think about it when you’re standing there and you look at those flags and that’s 800 and some veterans just from Hancock County,” Workman said.
