Photos: In honor of Veterans Day, Southern Nevada volunteers place flags at military graves

By Las Vegas Sun Staff (contact)

Thursday, Nov. 11, 2021 | 2 a.m.

Scores of community volunteers gathered Wednesday at the Southern Nevada Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Boulder City to adorn gravesites with American flags on the eve of Veterans Day.

It was the second straight year that Dawn Kramer — whose dad, Andrew Kramer, is buried in the cemetery's U section — has traveled from Michigan to organize a campaign to plant as many miniature flags as possible for Veterans Day.

On that federal holiday in 2019, when Kramer came to visit her father's gravesite, she was perplexed that the resting place was largely devoid of flags. She has since worked to increase the number of flags placed by reaching out to the community.

The patriotic gesture bucks tradition, as flags are typically placed by volunteers on Memorial Day in May, when the nation pays respect to those who died while serving. But the sentiment seems to resonate with plenty of Southern Nevadans.

About 60 volunteers — including local military members and service-minded families — placed about 5,000 flags across three sections of the cemetery in under an hour. Last year, Kramer's inaugural efforts led to 1,300 flags being placed for veterans and their spouses.

Kramer was emotional upon beholding the robust community support.

"Thank you so much for your service and taking the time to honor these men and women," she told the volunteers. "Just looking at these flags and seeing you makes me want to cry."

The now-decorated sections will host an event at 4 p.m. Thursday, including a flag ceremony by the Girl Scouts of Southern Nevada, a 21-gun salute, and the playing of taps, a bugle call for such ceremonies and military funerals.

Eventually, Kramer wants to see all 48,000 gravesites at the cemetery dotted with flags on that special day.

“These flags mean the world to these veterans’ loved ones,” Kramer said. “Paying respect is what matters.”