FARMINGTON — The weather cooperated Saturday as volunteers placed American flags at the graves of veterans buried in Fairview and Riverside cemeteries.

Peter Tracey, Roderick-Crosby American Legion Post 28 adjutant, has been in charge of the annual flag placements for the past five years. Nine hundred twenty flags were purchased this year by the town of Farmington and there were 100 on hand. 

Tracy told the volunteers to straighten any bent markers and to read the markers carefully as they might be for another organization, adding that there may be new graves this year and extra markers are available for them.

There are about 30 cemeteries in Farmington, and the Town Office has a list of where they are, Tracy said. 

“I’ve been to all of them to check for veterans’ graves,” Tracy said. “It takes someone to organize this. I like doing it.”

Twelve veterans and other volunteers were paired up at the Fairview Cemetery. A smaller group placed flags in the Riverside Cemetery.

Post 28 Chaplain Langdon Adams stopped to read the gravestone after positioning one flag.

“I’ve helped for many years,” Adams said. “This is still very emotional.”

At Riverside cemetery, Nikia Dixon, a Freeman resident, placed a flag at the grave of a Civil War veteran. This is the third year she has volunteered.

Post 28 Commander Tim Callahan and Vice Commander Les Gatchell took a moment to study the marker of a veteran of the Spanish-American War. According to his gravestone, K. Drauckas served in the U.S. Navy and died in 1922.

Back at Fairview Cemetery, Tracy was asked for a marker and flag for her father, who had been buried yesterday.

“Thank you so much,” she said. “You don’t know how much this means to me.”

pharnden@sunmediagroup.net

Langdon Adams, Chaplain Roderick-Crosby American Legion Post #28, pauses to read the gravestone after placing an American flag at a Veterans’ grave. Post members and volunteers spent Saturday morning placing flags at Farmington’s two largest cemeteries, Riverside and Fairview.

Emma Jierczak, New Sharon, places an American flag on the grave of a World War I Veteran Saturday. An Auxiliary member, she and her husband helped Roderick-Crosby American Legion Post #28 members place flags in Fairview cemetery, Farmington.

Nikia Dixon, Freeman, places an American flag at the grave of a Civil War Veteran in Riverside cemetery, Farmington, Saturday morning. Members of Roderick-Crosby American Legion Post #28 and volunteers placed hundreds of flags in Riverside and Fairview cemeteries to honor the Veterans buried there.

Roderick-Crosby American Legion Post #28 Commander Tim Callahan at left and Vice Commander Les Gatchell are seen at the grave of Spanish American War Veteran K. Drauchas in Riverside cemetery, Farmington. In honor of their service, hundreds of flags were placed at Veterans’graves in Riverside and Fairview cemeteries Saturday morning. 

In Riverside cemetery Saturday morning, Roderick-Crosby American Legion Post #28 Financial Officer Matt Smith places an American flag at the grave of World War II Veteran Emma Paul.

Seen in Riverside cemetery, Farmington, are graves of members of the Pratt family and other Veterans’ graves with new American flags. Roderick-Crosby American Legion Post #28 members and volunteers spent Saturday morning placing the flags to honor Veterans there and in nearby Fairview cemetery.

Roderick-Crosby American Legion Post 28 Chaplain Langdon Adams reads the gravestone of a World War I veteran Saturday morning in Fairview Cemetery, Farmington. Post members and volunteers placed hundreds of flags in Fairview and Riverside cemeteries to honor veterans. 

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