Highland Memorial Park Cemetery never looked as special and patriotic as it did last weekend.
That’s because upwards of three-dozen Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts, who make up Johnston’s highly-regarded Pack and Troop 20, placed American flags at every grave of veterans via a well-organized system that included safe social distancing for adults and children alike beginning Saturday and continuing through Monday.
“It was an honor for these kids to be able to do this for the families of lost servicemen,” Joseph Swift, who doubles as Highland Memorial Park’s executive director and president of the Johnston Lions club, offered. “They took pride in what they did. It was also a wonderful experience for everybody and we received so many comments from people who actually witnessed the proud scouts placing flags at the gravesites.”
There were many heartwarming and memorable moments for people like David Slinko, a long-serving Johnston Police patrolman who served with the U.S. Marines and is scoutmaster with Cub Pack 20.
“It’s an honor for me to do this today,” said Slinko, who was holding a handful of American flags. “This practice is also a great educational experience for all the scouts like my son Andre.”
Andre Slinko, in fact, was all smiles as he placed Old Glory atop of several graves before moving to another area of the cemetery where he and his father were approached by WPRI reporter Kait Walsh who was on hand Saturday and interviewed Mark DaPonte, yet another of Pack and Troop 20’s outstanding leaders.
“We have been placing American flags here at Highland Memorial Park Cemetery for four years,” DaPonte said of the extraordinary Memorial Day ceremony. “It is very important to us that we complete the honor of placing the flags and staying with the safety guidelines of the state.”
As DaPonte talked further with Walsh, he explained that each family of Scouts had one hour to place the flags – which were supplied by Highland Memorial Park – in a specific section of the cemetery and were followed by another family that were assigned to a new section.
“We purposely positioned each family’s section across the cemetery from each other,” DaPonte went on. “All of the Scouts and their parents came prepared with face mask and stayed clear of others who were in the cemetery.”
Once the three-day flag placing was complete, Pack and Troop 20 had American flags flying in the breeze at every veteran’s grave.
“This is one of the favorite community service projects our pack and troop complete every year,” DaPonte said. “It’s exciting seeing the Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts dressed in uniform and placing hundreds of American flags at veterans’ graves.”
Comments
No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here