JESSAMINE CO., Ky. (LEX 18) — An annual tradition at Camp Nelson National Cemetery is the Memorial Day Ceremony to honor Kentucky’s veterans. At sunrise on the morning of the ceremony, thousands of small flags stand firm in the ground in front of each marker.
Camp Nelson holds ceremonies on both Memorial Day and Veterans Day, but these flags only make one appearance each year.
“The intent is to place an American flag in front of every marker here,” said David Gross with the Central Kentucky Veterans Committee (CVCK).
It’s a somber process across the grounds that takes place the Saturday before Memorial Day. As each flag is placed, the person who puts the flag in the ground takes a moment of silence, a short salute, or a vocal message all saying the same thing, “you are not forgotten.”
“All of the markers here, all of the veterans that are here, they all sacrificed time, blood, sweat, tears, and more to give us those freedoms, to maintain those freedoms,” Gross said.
“It kind of gives you pause and a chill down your whole body when you see that,” said Ernest Lambert, a veteran who was out placing flags.
There are more than 20,000 markers at Camp Nelson for flags to go to. But a big group of volunteers – including a lot of youth groups and teams – helped the process go a lot faster.
“We have a volleyball team, a baseball team, and we also have members from the Estill County JROTC that's out here as well who are helping to put flags in,” Lambert said.
It’s a small token of appreciation for those who dedicated their lives to fight for our country, and those who paid the ultimate price for our freedom.
“Taking a little bit of time to honor those who gave their lives for our nation, I think it’s one of the primary obligations that we have,” Gross concluded.
