SCRANTON, Pa. — Veterans organizations spend hours placing flags and grave markers each year to honor the brave men and women who served our country. Thursday was the day to pick up their allotment to replace the torn and tattered ones.
Boxes of flags and grave markers were loaded into vehicles outside the Trolley Museum in Scranton. 70,000 flags and more than 3,000 grave markers will be shared among VFWs, American Legion posts, and other service organizations in Lackawanna County.
The annual distribution replaces old or damaged flags and markers.
"Several times in the course of the year that they've been missing or stolen or destroyed, that stray ones that come down, and this gentleman here is doing an outstanding job," said Russell Canevari, commander of Jessup VFW Post 5544.
David Eisele, the county's veterans affairs director, says his office has seen an increase in requests for markers of all wars and conflicts.
"To do this and remember them and remember what they fought for. It's a huge honor for us," Eisele said. "Persian Gulf War, War on Terror, some people have been asking for a specific, like Iraq War or Afghanistan, we kind of roped into War on Terror, to make it easier."
There are fewer markers and flags to distribute this year because of the rising costs and the new One to One program.
"We've been buying just rods and trying to fix the ones we can to save money because one marker costs $15.50. They used to be $3 a few years back," Eisele said.
Members of the service organizations say they appreciate the help getting new markers well before Memorial Day because there's a lot of ground to cover putting them up.
"We do four cemeteries, and it's getting really hard because our membership is dropping off, but we get it done," said Ralph Bensing from American Legion Post 465 in Jermyn.
If you're looking for a way to give back, members of the Vfw or American Legion posts we spoke with say they'll take any extra help to place the flags and markers before Memorial Day.