VFW carries on Memorial Day tradition

Those who stop by Riverview Cemetery Monday at 10 a.m. can take part in an almost 100-year-old tradition carried on by the Green River Veterans of Foreign Wars. Every year on Memorial Day, VFW members host a ceremony to honor veterans who gave their lives defending our country.

The ceremony always includes a reading of the names of deceased veterans in the American Legion and VFW, the sounding of the bell, the playing of “Taps” and a firing squad. An address from a special speaker who holds a position of authority and leadership in the community is also a regular part of the ceremony. This year’s guest speaker will be Green River Police Chief Tom Jarvie.

Each year before the ceremony the VFW also decorates the graves of veterans throughout the cemetery with United States flags.

“If it’s good weather we do 350 to 400 flags throughout the whole cemetery,” VFW Commander Jim Shoemaker explained. “Every veteran gets a flag.”

Flags are also put along the roadway by the cemetery — 13 flags to represent the original colonies and 50 flags to represent the 50 states. The flags are put up Sunday afternoon, left up all day Memorial Day, and taken away again Tuesday afternoon.

Putting out hundreds of flags is a lot of work that can take a few hours, so the VFW members rely on the help of volunteers. Sometimes groups like the Boy Scouts of America will help with the flags, while other times the volunteers are simply community members willing to lend a hand.

Volunteers are divided between sections of the cemetery and given flags for the approximate amount of veterans in each section.

“I tell them it’s not a game,” Jim said about working with volunteers. “Do it with honor. You don’t run through the course, you just go out there, put your flag on the grave, stick it in the ground in front of the headstone.”

For this year’s ceremony, the VFW is still looking for volunteers willing to help put the flags out Sunday at 3 p.m., as well as to collect them Tuesday at 3 p.m. Anyone who wants to can help with the flags, as well as attend the ceremony.

“We welcome anybody who wants to come,” Jim said.

The VFW always extends a special invitation to veterans and other service members in the community. Any veteran is welcome to be part of the ceremony, according to Shoemaker, and they can choose whether or not to wear their uniform. Other service members, such as police officers and the American Legion Riders, are welcome to take part as well, even if they aren’t veterans of a foreign war.

“They raised their right hand,” Jim said. “To me, when they raise their right hand to defend the Constitution of the United States, they’re part of us.”

The Memorial Day ceremony has been a tradition for the VFW for nearly 100 years, dating back to when the city of Green River donated a plot of land in the cemetery to the VFW in 1931. According to VFW District Commander Earl McDonald, during that time Memorial Day parades were also commonly held.

The origins of Memorial Day itself go back even further. Although it didn’t become an official federal holiday until 1971, the concept of the day goes back to the American Civil War. Although it’s been around for so long, Memorial Day is often confused with similar holidays.

“[Memorial Day is] not for the people that are standing, it’s the people that gave their lives for our freedom,” Jim said.

 “Veteran’s Day is for all veterans, Memorial Day is for those who have passed away, and Armed Forces Day is for all of the soldiers who are now serving,” Anita Shoemaker explained.

Anita is Jim’s wife and the “district madame president of the VFW,” according to Jim.

Anita also pointed out Memorial Day originated as a day to honor fallen soldiers specifically. It wasn’t meant as a day to remember anyone who has passed away, and it’s not just a long weekend and a chance to have a picnic as many people think of it, she said. She believes people can honor the original meaning of the holiday by taking time to reflect on those who gave their lives.

“I would say take a moment of their time in silence to remember why these men are no longer with us, because they fought and died,” Anita said. “And it’s not only that they fought and died immediately. A lot of them are still dying because of stuff like agent orange and stuff that they were exposed to during their service.”

“There’s a lot of wounds that don’t go away that you can’t treat and you can’t see,” Jim added.

The Shoemakers and the VFW are committed to continuing to remember and honor the sacrifice of those who gave their lives in service to our country. Any community members who wish to join them are welcome to attend the ceremony on Memorial Day and invited to volunteer to help put out and take down flags in the cemetery.