Volunteers Place Thousands of Flags on Veterans’ Graves for Memorial Day
NEW PHILADELPHIA (WJER) (May 25, 2026) – For Memorial Day, the Tuscarawas County Veterans Service Office is once again ensuring that every known veteran’s grave across the county is honored with an American flag.
Veterans Service Officer Jim Thornton says it’s a massive undertaking, with the office distributing more than 120 gross flags—that’s over 17,000 individual flags—to volunteers who place them at cemeteries countywide.
Thornton credits the work to a wide network of community volunteers, including veterans groups, Boy Scouts, and local organizations, for picking up pre-sorted flags and taking on the responsibility of placing them at gravesites.
The office begins preparations in early May, organizing flags by cemetery and adding markers for veterans who have passed away within the past year.
Each grave is marked with a 12-by-18-inch American flag, with extra flags often included to decorate cemetery grounds in tribute to those who served.