Each year on Memorial Day, Americans honor their fallen veterans with shared ceremonies, remembrance services, and visits to the cemeteries where they are laid to rest. The San Diego Miramar Lions Club joined hands with volunteers from the community, and AT&T for this project at the Ft. Rosecrans cemetery located in the picturesque Point Loma area, and situated on the Fort Rosecrans Military Reservation. The cemetery, with its pristine white headstones, overlooks the San Diego bay. Ft. Rosecrans was established as a national cemetery in October 1934, and 120,000 of our fallen military are buried there.
Each year, volunteers are sought by the national cemeteries to place the US flag at the gravestone of each fallen member. When the request came, only one week prior to the Memorial Day weekend, due to a last-minute lift of COVID-19 restrictions, the San Diego Lions were called upon to help place flags at Ft. Rosecrans. Partnering with community, friends of San Diego Miramar Lions Club, and volunteers from AT&T, the SDMLC PRIDE gathered 46 community volunteers to support the military national cemetery efforts.
On a cool breezy Saturday morning, the team gathered at the cemetery rostrum, shared the opening presentation and direction, and for the next two placed flags at each headstone in the cemetery as they walked up and down the rolling hillsides and plateaus. The collaborative efforts by this group allowed for a record time in the completion of our efforts, and we all left with a warm feeling knowing we had down the “right thing” for these heroes on a day set aside just for them.
Thank you everyone for honoring our fallen veterans. With heartfelt thanks for joining our efforts – San Diego Miramar Lions Club.
