Flags Missing From Over 1K Veterans Graves At Bay Pines National

BAY PINES, FL — Many families were disappointed after they drove past the dozens of American flags volunteers placed near veteran gravestones Saturday at the Bay Pines National Cemetery to find that their loved-one's section of the cemetery had no flags for Memorial Day.

The rows of American flags placed in the ground just before the holiday that honors military members are toward the entrance of the cemetery. Plots in the back, along both sides and starting in the middle of the main field did not have any flags placed at the graves.

A Patch reporter walked the site Sunday and counted at least 1,005 headstones in combination with sections: 53, 54, 55, 56, MA and MC that were without miniature American flags. There were many others without flags across the grounds.

Families asked Sunday as they paid respect to their loved ones buried there, "Where is the flag for our service-member? I don't get why all those graves up there (toward the entrance of the cemetery) received all those flags, and ours didn't."

Patch is waiting to hear back from the National Cemetery Office to ask about the lack of flags at all graves.

Most flowers, flags and balloons placed at veterans' graves out of range from the beginning of the cemetery were placed by friends and family throughout Sunday. For some veteran widows this was the first year they said a flag was not placed next to their late husband's gravestone.

Linda Gesling, whose husband, Raymond Gesling, died in 2010, and served in the U.S. Army during World War II, said in a Patch interview she was surprised and disappointed when she got to his grave and didn't see a flag. She and her now-husband, John Henry, who is also a World War II veteran, stood by the grave and looked around wondering why there were so many graves without flags.

She is used to seeing a flag every year beside it during Memorial Day.

"Had I known there wouldn't have been a flag here, I would have brought one," she said. "And we were wondering 'did they run out of flags,' 'were they short-staffed.' I would have come out here and helped place flags if I knew they were short-staffed, and that's why they weren't placed."

Gesling brought a potted flower with the American flag on it and sat it on the late Gesling's grave.

WFLA reported that Boys Scouts of Pinellas County were at the cemetery Saturday placing flags next to the graves with other volunteers.

Patch reached out to District Executive Henry Johnson of The Greater Tampa Bay Area Council to ask how many flags the boys were given for Saturday's volunteer duties. We will update the story when we hear back from Johnson.

Family members told Patch the lack of flags throughout the cemetery wasn't the only sign of disrespect noticed.

"The grass is dead over here compared to the beautiful green grass where the graves in front have all the flags," said Patricia Cook-Rudd, who lost her Vietnam veteran husband, Charles Rudd, last year. She and two family members placed flowers at his grave Sunday.

"It doesn't make me feel good at all because you're supposed to come here and try not to grieve so much, and have a little life. But the grass is dead, and that's the first thing I thought when I walked over here today," Cook-Rudd said. "It should be green, just like everywhere else. Everybody should be treated the same — they're all veterans. They're all dead, but they all served our country, and they deserve a little bit more gratitude."

Cook-Rudd went to go buy flags for her husband's gravesite, but she said there were none left at the stores. A woman who traveled from Greensboro, North Carolina, that it was very disrespectful that all headstones didn't have flags.

"I drove down here to see my brother, who has been buried here since 1991," Laura Simmons said. "This is the first year I haven't seen any flags placed at all headstones."

Sunday was also her brother's birthday who served in the Navy. "This is very disrespectful at the fact that the veterans sacrificed their lives, and we're supposed to be celebrating them."

Richard Renninger, an Air Force veteran who served in the Korean War, has been buried at the Bay Pines National Cemetery since 1991. His daughter told Patch she was shocked when she drove up and didn't see flags everywhere.

"They used to have flags at all their headstones, and at Christmastime, wreaths," Diane Myers said. "I think this is the first time, and this is very disappointing. If there is a number at the VA to call, I'm going to call it and complain."

As for Memorial Day services, VA Bay Pines posted on its Facebook page that it will hold a virtual only service Monday, May 31, from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. with guest speakers. In-person attendance will not be allowed because of the coronavirus pandemic, just like last year's. To watch the ceremony, visit VA Bay Pines Facebook.