- April 23, 2024
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The Captain James Ormond chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution and the Hillside Cemetery board have not forgotten the soldiers buried at the historic cemetery this Memorial Day.
For the second year in a row, both entities have placed flags on the veterans' graves at Hillside Cemetery to commemorate their sacrifice. The cemetery is home to soldiers who fought in both World Wars, the Vietnam War, and others like the Mexican American War. DAR Membership Chair Sharon Lehto said they're still working on identifying all the veterans at Hillside.
Placing flags on their graves is a way to honor a person and their family for Memorial Day, which she said has been glossed over in the past as just a day off work to go to the beach.
“But in retrospect, the reason that we’re going to the beach is that these men have sacrificed their lives for us to have the freedom of going to the beach and not being disturbed," Lehto said. "I think it’s tremendously important that we don’t forget what they’ve done and the sacrifices they’ve made.”
Her father was a U.S. Navy veteran who fought in World War II. He's buried in New Jersey, and Lehto hopes someone is honoring his grave this Memorial Day as well.
“It’s very important that we don’t forget our family heritage," Lehto said.
The DAR is also preparing for National Wreaths Across America Day, coming up later this year on Dec. 14, where wreaths will be placed on veterans' graves. Last year, the event was held at Volusia Memorial Cemetery and Pilgrims Rest. Hillside Cemetery is being added to the local celebrations this year. To find out more about Wreaths Across America, visit wreathsacrossamerica.org.
