Why Were No Flags On 1,000 Graves For Memorial Day?: VA Response

BAY PINES, FL — Many families were upset to discover that flags were not placed by their loved one's headstone at Bay Pines National Cemetery for Memorial Day. But authorities say it's not the responsibility of Veterans Affairs or its VA National Cemetery Association to place individual flags at the more than 30,000 graves there.

A Patch reporter counted 1,005 headstones without flags Sunday, and that was only a partial count.

But, VA policy only requires flags along the entrance and routes through its cemeteries; the task of decorating every grave falls to volunteer groups or families.

"There is no standing policy for cemeteries to put a flag on every individual grave site, and thus over the years, all VA cemeteries have relied on the graciousness and the generosity of civilians, civic organizations, veterans organizations like the VFW, American Legion, and other volunteer groups like the Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts," Douglas Maddox, cemetery director of Bay Pines National Cemetery, said in a Patch interview.

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

Maddox, 60, is a retired Army officer who served on active duty from 1981 to 2009. Maddox served as the assistant director to the VA Dallas Fort Worth National Cemetery from 2018 to 2020. He transferred to VA Bay Pines in August 2020.

Veterans Affairs Flag Regulations

The veterans hospitals and national cemeteries fall under the control of Veterans Affairs, a federal agency. The C.W. Bill Young VA, also known as Bay Pines VA, is one of three Veterans Affairs campuses in the United States that has a national cemetery on the same campus as its hospital and district benefits office. The other two are in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and Maine.

The VA flag regulations require that the VA hospitals and national cemeteries display the "avenue of flags" on Memorial Day, Flag Day, Independence Day and Veterans Day.

"When it comes to flags, the policy that we must follow is to put up what they (the VA) call 'avenue of the flags,'" Maddox said. "You probably drove in and saw how the streets were lined with flags. That's what we refer to as the 'avenue of flags.' That is controlled by policy through the Veterans Administration."

Volunteer Requirements

Volunteer groups must purchase their own flags to bring to the cemetery since the national cemetery is not allowed to purchase the individual flags, according to Maddox.

"This year, because of COVID regulations, I extended the hours for volunteer groups to come out the Wednesday before Memorial Day until Saturday. The vast majority of people showed up on Saturday and started placing flags," he said.

Some families Patch spoke to Sunday at the Bay Pines National Cemetery were upset that headstones near the cemetery entrance received the majority of the flags.

"I drove down here to see my brother, who has been buried here since 1991," said Laura Simmons, who drove from Greensboro, North Carolina. "This is the first year I haven't seen any flags placed at all headstones." Her brother is buried toward the back of the cemetery.

Beverly Young, wife of the late Florida Congressman C.W. Bill Young, said in a phone interview that even she has to place a flag next to her husband's grave, and Bay Pines formally changed its name to honor Young because of all he did for the veteran communities. She ordered 200 flags last year and placed them at the cemetery.

The group of volunteers, which included Boy Scouts, were suggested to evenly disperse the flags and not put them all in one area, according to Maddox.

"I said, 'Because of our COVID restrictions, we're going to ask that you pick a section, and work in that specific section, and put the flags there, and try to spread them out as much as you can.' Well, that went as best as it could based on the number of volunteers that came with the number of flags they brought."

Maddox had received at least 25 complaint phone calls as of Wednesday morning, and dozens of emails, about the lack of individual flags on Memorial Day. One person was so upset, they created a makeshift flag that was placed near the office that read, "This is a disgrace. Second year in a row that my father did not receive a flag."

Last year, the VA did not allow groups of volunteers at the cemetery to place flags because of COVID-19 concerns, Maddox said.

What Are The Plans For Flags For Memorial Day 2022?

Flags for Fallen Vets, a nonprofit organization, has agreed to partner with Bay Pines Cemetery to help get the word out to locals that volunteer help is needed just before Memorial Day. They will also gather volunteers.

Through its volunteer efforts, since 2012, the organization has helped place more than 1,597,698 flags at national cemeteries, according to its website. Maddox said he worked with them in Texas and that it was a great experience.

Also, Maddox will send out news releases to local media to highlight the need for volunteers.

Another Complaint: Grass Conditions Around The Cemetery

"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," Patricia Cook-Rudd said. "But the grass is dead, and that's the first thing I thought when I walked over here today. 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."

Certain parts of the cemetery has patches of healthy, green grass, including the front, and other parts look dried out. When asked why the front was kept so lively, Maddox said because it's the front, and it represents the cemetery. It's the first thing people see.

"Grass being pretty in one part, and not in another part is an ongoing issue for everybody in Southwest Florida," Maddox said. "Now with respect to our veterans, I'm not any happier about the way the grass works. Yet I'm sure you know, we are in drought-like conditions."

According to Drought.gov, 27.5 percent of Florida was abnormally dry as of Wednesday. This includes St. Petersburg. Abnormally dry conditions increase small brush fires and increase landscape irrigation, its website said. In 127 years, 2021 is the state's 59th driest year to date.

Trying to offset the lack of rainfall is overtaxing the cemetery's irrigation system, Maddox said. The system is in need of constant repair; and when employees need to purchase parts for the overworked system, suppliers are running out of parts because everyone else is having the same experience.

Maddox showed a Patch reporter the low levels of the three irrigation ponds located at Bay Pines National Cemetery. Several birds looked as if they were standing on top of mud in two of them, and in the main irrigation pond, the water level was well below its optimal line.

Nine people work on the Bay Pines National Cemetery staff. Two of the cemetery caretakers, Jarrett Brice and Dave Bolin, who have both worked at the cemetery for four years, said because of the severe drought conditions they get to work early before daylight so they can water the grass.

Who Puts the Christmas Wreaths Next To Tombstones At The Cemetery?

Just as it is the duty of volunteers and families to place flags next to headstones at the cemetery, the same goes for wreaths during the Christmas season. Wreaths Across America is a popular organization in the veteran community that many order wreaths from to place at tombstones.

If you would like to volunteer for Memorial Day next year, Patch will keep you updated on volunteer call-outs for the VA Bay Pines National Cemetery.