At Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery, memories one flag at a time

Lincoln Cemetery in Elwood — Despite a light persistent rain, approximately 200 people gathered Friday morning at the Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery in Elwood to plant about 55,000 small American flags ahead of Memorial Day at the gravesites of the veterans buried there.

This year’s ceremony will be the first one held for the general public since 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic forced the cancellation of large events.

The volunteers on Friday appeared eager to tackle the formidable task of reaching every gravesite throughout the more than 900 acres which serve as the final resting place for veterans and their spouses.

“This is a time where we get to showcase the cemetery,” said Quincy McCall, the director of the cemetery. “We get a chance to see those families that we’ve interacted with over the years. So it’s exciting for us for people just to come back and see how the cemetery has evolved since they buried their loved one.”

Many of the volunteers were among those who came out not just to help plant the flags but to visit a loved one buried there.

Lynn Neville of Dwight said she and her family wanted to help plant the flags despite the rain. She had plans to gather with her loved ones at the headstone for her late husband, Douglas, who she said served in the Air Force.

Neville said it was her husband’s wish to be buried at the Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery so she’d be close enough to visit him. She added the family tries to make regular visits to her husband’s gravesite, especially around Memorial Day.

“We take the time to remember his stories about the service,” Neville said. “We take some pride in that.”

The Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery said it serves hundreds of thousands of veterans in Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin. More than 3,000 burials are conducted each year at the cemetery, and at full capacity, there will be about 400,000 internments at the site.

It’s because of the cemetery’s size that staff said they were thankful for volunteers, such as Mike Brann of Plainfield. Brann carried several bundles of flags as he made his way up and down the rows of headstones.

Brann said his father, Carlton, was buried at the cemetery more than 15 years ago.

“I miss him every day,” he said.

Brann said his sister takes their mother to the cemetery every year. This year, about five members of the family came to plant flags and visit his father’s grave.

“This is a day of remembering what people did in past years to protect us,” he said. “To give us what we have.”

Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery will be host of its annual Memorial Day commemoration ceremony on Monday at 11:30 a.m. Organizers advised those planning to attend to arrive early.

Volunteers also are asked to help remove the flags at the gravesites on Tuesday. Those wishing to help are asked to gather by the main flag pole at the cemetery at 9 a.m. No registration is required.

For information about the Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery, call the administration office at 815-423-9958 or visit cem.va.gov.