Volunteers place 14K flags at Boulder City cemetery ahead of Veterans Day

Navy veteran Jan Bennett placed a flag next to the grave of a fellow veteran at Southern Nevada Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Boulder City.

Bennett, 78, was at one of two ceremonies, one in Henderson and another at Boulder City, that honored veterans on Saturday.

“It’s a way for me to honor these people, who gave so much to make it possible for me to enjoy what I enjoy in this great country,” Bennett said.

Dawn Kramer, 64, organized the flag planting at the cemetery. She started in 2019, when she planted a flag to honor her father who served in the Korean War, Kramer said.

Kramer said that she bought an extra flag that year, but when she noticed how many graves didn’t have flags on them, she planted the extra and vowed to come back every year, but with more flags.

Nearly 14,000 flags

“I decided this has got to end, and so the next year, I came back with 5,000 flags. The next year, I came back with 7,700. Then last year, I came with almost 9,000 flags,” Kramer said.

This year, Kramer and an army of volunteers placed nearly 14,000 flags. One of those volunteers was Marine Corps veteran James Kozelouzek, 77.

“It’s something we all should do. It’s the least we can do,” Kozelouzek said.

Kramer recounted a moment that stuck with her, where she came across a woman on one of the benches. The woman had tears streaming from her eyes and was at the cemetery to honor her father, Kramer said.

“She pointed over her shoulder, and when I looked where she was pointing at, he had been freshly buried,” Kramer said, tearing up.

Kramer gave her a flag and points to that moment as a reason why she keeps coming back each year. Over 34,000 veterans are memorialized at the cemetary and Kramer hopes to plant a flag for each of them someday.

‘Freedom is not free’

In Henderson, Kevin Linson, 49, proudly wore a shirt saying “Air Force Dad,” at the city’s annual Veterans Day Ceremony. His son is in the Air Force, and Linson attended the ceremony to honor military members like his son.

“I just think it’s important to honor them. They’re the backbone of our nation,” Linson said.

The Henderson ceremony centered around the inscription of 26 new names on the city’s Veterans Memorial Wall. The wall, which is adjacent to City Hall on Water Street, was originally inscribed with 1,213 names when it was constructed in 1994.

The wall now bears the names of nearly 2,000 veterans.

Among the 26 honored in Saturday’s ceremony were veterans from the Korean War, Vietnam War, Persian Gulf War and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

“Today, we acknowledge and salute the brave men and women who have served to protect our country in hopes of inspiring a new generation who will answer the call at any cost,” Henderson Mayor Michelle Romero said during the ceremony.

The keynote speaker, retired Air Force Col. Argie Moore, took to the stage to thank loved ones of military members.

“Freedom is not free,” Moore said. “Veterans come from all walks of life and all demographics.”

“We have said goodbye to our family and friends, experienced the joy of mail calls and felt the sadness of missing family members. We have dealt with both victory and tragedy,” Moore said.

Veteran suicides

In her speech, Moore pointed to the second-leading cause of death for veterans — suicide.

“Seven thousand Americans have died in combat since 2001, but we have lost 131,000 to suicide during that same time period,” Moore said.

“There’s always room for improvement, making suicide a part of the conversation, so that it’s not stigmatized,” Romero told the Review-Journal.

“Why must we fight so hard for the benefits you promised, the benefits we earned? And why must we fight so hard to keep them?” Moore asked during the ceremony.

Moore gave an example, highlighting a veteran who was exposed to a chemical substance in Vietnam but did not receive Veterans Affairs benefits until 60 years after his service.

Romero said it’s important to bring awareness to the resources available to veterans.

“I think people feel like they’re on their own with whatever it is they’re dealing with, and they’re not. There are so many people here to help,” Romero said.

Representation was also an important topic to attendee Ana Cozad, 68. Cozad is a retired Air Force master sergeant representing the Women Veterans of Nevada group.

“We are underrepresented,” Cozad said, “Whenever you see veterans, what do you see? Men. We contribute just as much as men. I mean, we’re involved in everything.”

Kramer’s ceremony at Southern Nevada Veterans Memorial Cemetery will continue on Sunday at 4 p.m. It will feature a 21-gun salute and a speech from Joan Whitmer, a nurse who served in World War II.

After Sunday’s ceremony, Kramer will need to remove the flags, and she asked for any volunteers to help remove them Sunday night.

If you’re thinking about suicide, or are worried about a loved one or friend, help is available 24/7 by calling or texting the Lifeline network at 988. Live chat is available at 988lifeline.org.

Contact Annie Vong at avong@reviewjournal.com.