Firefighters prepare National Cemetery for Memorial Day celebration

Chattanooga firefighters spray water at the National Cemetery May 27, 2016 in attempt to keep the grass green and soften the ground for Memorial Day activities.
Chattanooga firefighters spray water at the National Cemetery May 27, 2016 in attempt to keep the grass green and soften the ground for Memorial Day activities.

Memorial Day Activities

8 a.m. today - Scouts honor veterans. All grave sites decorated with an American flag10 a.m. to 4 p.m. today - The History Company presents a historical timeline located behind Shelter B9 a.m. to 10 a.m. today - The Third Annual Tennessee Valley Veterans Benefit Ride visits Memorial Circle10 a.m. Monday - Memorial Honor Band Concert11 a.m. Monday - Annual Memorial Day ProgramNoon - Native American Ceremony8:45 p.m. - Torch Light Tour of Chattanooga National Cemetery

Cascading water arched over the Chattanooga National Cemetery on Friday as the Chattanooga Fire Department helped prepare the facility for an anticipated 30,000 visitors this Memorial Day weekend.

Cemetery officials expect slightly more visitors than usual because this will be the first year the 82-member Memorial Honor Band will perform. The concert kicks off the annual Memorial Day program at 10 a.m. Monday. U.S. Rep. Chuck Fleischmann, R-Tenn., is scheduled speak around 11 a.m.

Cemetery officials called the fire department to wet the grounds and make it easier for Boy Scout volunteers to plant American flags at each of the 45,000 gravesites.

Fire officials say preparing the cemetery allows them to honor several firefighters who are also veterans.

"We've got a lot of former soldiers who are now officers in the fire department," said Lt. Jason Rains.

The fire department came Friday with three trucks, two of them holding thousands of gallons of water. A third truck had a ladder that held a hose and shot water over the cemetery.

"It looks like rain when it hits the grass," said Battalion Chief Chris Willmore.

When the ground has been this dry in years past, volunteers have had a hard time getting the flags in the ground and sometimes the flags break, said Michael Henshaw, director of the cemetery.

He's also concerned that in years past the grass has been so dry that it may have contributed to some grass fires, and he wants to prevent those, Henshaw said.

"This is the busiest time of the year," he said.

About 1,000-1,400 volunteers are expected to decorate graves with flags today.

Henshaw said volunteers are needed Tuesday morning to remove the flags. Hundreds come to place the flags, but not so many come to pick them up, he said.

Contact staff writer Yolanda Putman at yputman@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6542.

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