Dozens of people turned out Saturday to help place nearly 13,000 American flags on graves at the VA National Cemetery in Danville. Bill Pickett has the story…
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Joslyn Unger of Champaign was among those helping…
{AUDIO: “I love doing this because I feel like it’s supporting what our Veterans did do, and what our military personnel are doing now – keeping our country safe. And it’s really important to me.”}
Unger and her family were representing Scout Troops 9 and 2119 of Champaign. And Joslyn Unger added they were carrying on a tradition…
Audio Player{AUDIO: “My husband’s uncle used to do this in St. Louis every year with his scout troop. So it’s a tradition that we like to carry on because of his Uncle Al who passed away about ten years ago.”}
(Samantha Unger, 12, and her 15-year-old sister, Zora, of Champaign, help place flags Saturday at the Danville National Cemetery.)
(Flag volunteers of all ages helped.)
The annual Memorial Day Ceremony is Monday, May 26th, 2025, at 11:00 a.m. at the Danville National Cemetery.
Jake Serd, Manager of the Danville National Cemetery, appreciates the volunteers who helped place small American flags on the graves. “We’ve got Boy Scouts. We’ve got local schools, churches, just a wide variety of volunteers out here placing flags at the nearly thirteen-thousand gravesites of our veterans and their spouses here at the Danville National Cemetery.”
Serd says one of the graves dates back to 1898 – more than 120 years ago. “There was a small group that was transferred here from across town in 1902,’’ added Serd.
(One of the plaques at the Danville VA National Cemetery.)
Even though there are more than 13,000 gravesites, Serd adds the Danville National Cemetery has room for more. “The V.A. National Cemetery Administration within the next three years or so, is planning a wide expansion here on the south side of our National Cemetery. So, this place will be here long after you and I are gone. We have plenty of space. There are several National Cemeteries that are actually out of space and no longer doing active burials. But we are a very active National Cemetery,’’ added Serd.
There are about 200 burials per year at the Danville National Cemetery.
