By John Kriz
The day started blustery as approximately 200 people – moms and dads, children, boy scouts and girl scouts, firefighters, police, town officials, members of the New Canaan’s Veterans of Foreign Wars Post #653 (VFW) and so many others – gathered by the veterans’ section of Lakeview Cemetery to begin the solemn yet inspiring task of placing flags on the graves of our military service members who are buried there.
This event, led by the VFW and funded by community donations, demonstrates again the civic-mindedness and volunteer spirit that is New Canaan.
How It Began
Around fifteen years ago local couple Frances and Chris Wilson’s oldest son, John, was a scout with Troop 70 and considering an Eagle scout project. Frances’ father was a Navy veteran, and she encouraged her son to consider a project supporting veterans. While at a scout ceremony they met Peter Langenus, who was at the time the town’s VFW Post Commander. They got to talking and Mr. Langenus said that the VFW had been laying wreaths and flags at veterans’ graves in Lakeview Cemetery, but that the list of veterans could be more accurate. So John, with the help of his father and Troop 70, canvased the entirety of Lakeview Cemetery, eventually producing a database of 700 veterans’ graves, which has since grown. The list now includes veterans’ graves at the many other cemeteries that dot New Canaan, those names having been produced by a local girl scout as part of her Gold Award project.
Today, the Wilsons continue to work closely with the VFW on the Memorial Day weekend flag placements – eschewing personal publicity and instead focusing on honoring those who have fought, and sometimes died, defending our nation.
Placing the Flags
The ceremony at Lakeview Cemetery began with a Pledge of Allegiance, led by a cub scout. VFW Chaplain Brian Vanderheyden, who is also Grand Marshal of this year’s Memorial Day Parade, led the assemblage in a brief prayer, saying, “We do this with pride, respect and honor. Bless all our veterans, living and deceased, and their families, and bless all of you here today.” A moment of silence for the war dead followed.
VFW Post Commander Mike McGlinn offered thanks to the many groups that contribute money and muscle to the flag project, including the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), New Canaan Girl Scouts, Boy Scout Troops 70, 45 and 31, Cub Scout Packs 70, 45 and 7, the Service League of Boys (SLOBs), the Hannah Benedict Carter Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, the National Charity League/New Canaan Chapter, as well as the New Canaan firefighters, the New Canaan Exchange Club, and the Republican and Democrat Town Committees.
Commander McGlinn then presented a plaque to the Wilsons as thanks for their many years of support for the flag project.
Concludes Commander McGlinn in an exclusive New Canaan Sentinel interview, “It’s just a great community event, putting these flags down. You can see from the list that I read off that we get great support from all the citizens of New Canaan and we couldn’t do it without them,” noting further that “it is an honor to serve in the VFW and to take care of the veterans in this cemetery that have nobody looking out for them.”
New Canaan’s volunteer firefighters take the flag-placement lead at the dozen or so smaller cemeteries around town that have veterans’ graves. They visit each cemetery, placing flags at graves, and in front of the cemeteries in honor of those veterans buried there but whose gravemarkers have been lost, worn beyond recognition or damaged.
“Every year we will come out and support the town of New Canaan by putting either flags on graves or wreaths on graves. And it’s a great way to not only support those who have served and our fallen veterans, but it’s a great way to also do more for the community. We already, as volunteers, do a lot by volunteering with the New Canaan Fire Company, but this is just another way to support those that we can,” said volunteer firefighter Silvana Cardona.
New Canaan Fire Company is always seeking new volunteers. If interested, contact recruit@newcanaanfire.com
The VFW and volunteers collect the flags in a few weeks, reusing them on the next Memorial Day. In addition to flags on veterans’ graves on Memorial Day, the VFW also leads the effort to place wreaths on veterans’ graves at Christmas.
These efforts in support of veterans cost money, and the VFW always welcomes donations. To donate, use this QR code.
John J Kriz is 30+ year resident of New Canaan. Opinions expressed are his own.
