Efforts to honor America's fallen soldiers continues despite COVID-19

HOUSTON - The spread of coronavirus has canceled Memorial Day Weekend plans for many, including local volunteers who place flags at the National Cemetery. However, others have stepped in to honor the fallen.         

Sunday morning, 71-year-old Vietnam War veteran Paul Michael Washington took time to fix a loose flag leading up to the Hemicycle at the Houston National Cemetery.

“I’m here because of those veterans that gave their life. It could’ve been me,” says Washington. “I’m blessed to be here, and I want to give the honor to them always.”

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Meanwhile, families trickle in to honor their loved ones.
One couple places flags on the grave of a mapmaker, described as serving under General George Patton. His wife died in February and was buried by his side.

“It used to be [that] the Cub scouts came out here and did all the flags,” says daughter Diane Riley.

Her husband Jim adds, “We'll have to get through what we are going through now, and we will, but we still have to honor the people who got us here.”

The larger groups that would usually lay flags at the cemetery have canceled because of COVID-19, but instead of letting the graves go bare, smaller organizations have stepped in to take up the cause. 

The non-profit Flags for Fallen Vets organizes thousands of volunteers for the service each year, but their website lists all their national placement events as canceled.

“It’s heartbreaking to me that we can’t come put flags on everybody’s grave,” says Dana Randolph, former president of Houston’s Texas A&M Club.

Without them, members of the Houston A&M club are using the Flags for Fallen Vets guidelines, posting flags twelve inches from their tombstones. They are also adding a smaller A&M maroon flag for alumni. 

“My best friend’s dad is buried out here too. They’re our heroes,” adds Randolph.  

The Combat Veterans Motorcycle Association is also placing flags, finishing with a final salute at each grave.

“We have a saying that all of us gave some and some of us gave all,” says Marine Corps Veteran John Brandon-Pierre. “Everyone here that has a flag placed by their grave gave all.”

The group is planting nearly a thousand purchased and donated flags.

“There are a lot of people buried here who did not have a good homecoming. They had troubled lives after their service,” says the commander of the Combat Vets Houston chapter Daniel Mertz.

“The least that we could do is come out here, put a flag on their stone for Memorial Day, say their name one more time, and thank them for what they did,” he explains.

The group is only covering a fraction of the more than 85,000 graves at the cemetery, but the veterans take comfort in the camaraderie and appreciation for the fallen they'll never forget.

The annual Memorial Day service scheduled at the cemetery on Monday has also been closed off to the public.