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Memorial Day at Chattanooga National Cemetery

Staff photo by C.B. Schmelter / United States Marine Corps veteran Jack Coppinger, of Knoxville, Tenn., takes a moment to visit with James Gluff on Memorial Day at the Chattanooga National Cemetery on Monday, May 25, 2020 in Chattanooga, Tenn. Coppinger served with Gluff and said it was the first time in 11 years that he was emotionally able to come see him. "These guys get one day a year," Coppinger said. "They deserved to be remembered." Because of the COVID-19 pandemic preventing the Boy Scouts of America from their usual Memorial Day Ceremony of placing flags at the graves of veterans, Coppinger took to Facebook to ask for donations of American flags so he could place them himself. Coppinger said that he placed over 3,000 flags at the Knoxville National Cemetery yesterday. He took the left over flags with him to the Chattanooga National Cemetery, as he was planning to visit Gluff, where he was helped by volunteers from his hometown of Jasper, Tenn. to place the rest of the flags.
Staff photo by C.B. Schmelter / United States Marine Corps veteran Jack Coppinger, of Knoxville, Tenn., takes a moment to visit with James Gluff on Memorial Day at the Chattanooga National Cemetery on Monday, May 25, 2020 in Chattanooga, Tenn. Coppinger served with Gluff and said it was the first time in 11 years that he was emotionally able to come see him. "These guys get one day a year," Coppinger said. "They deserved to be remembered." Because of the COVID-19 pandemic preventing the Boy Scouts of America from their usual Memorial Day Ceremony of placing flags at the graves of veterans, Coppinger took to Facebook to ask for donations of American flags so he could place them himself. Coppinger said that he placed over 3,000 flags at the Knoxville National Cemetery yesterday. He took the left over flags with him to the Chattanooga National Cemetery, as he was planning to visit Gluff, where he was helped by volunteers from his hometown of Jasper, Tenn. to place the rest of the flags. Staff photo by C.B. Schmelter / United States Marine Corps veteran Jack Coppinger, of Knoxville, Tenn., takes a moment to visit with James Gluff on Memorial Day at the Chattanooga National Cemetery on Monday, May 25, 2020 in Chattanooga, Tenn. Coppinger served with Gluff and said it was the first time in 11 years that he was emotionally able to come see him. "These guys get one day a year," Coppinger said. "They deserved to be remembered." Because of the COVID-19 pandemic preventing the Boy Scouts of America from their usual Memorial Day Ceremony of placing flags at the graves of veterans, Coppinger took to Facebook to ask for donations of American flags so he could place them himself. Coppinger said that he placed over 3,000 flags at the Knoxville National Cemetery yesterday. He took the left over flags with him to the Chattanooga National Cemetery, as he was planning to visit Gluff, where he was helped by volunteers from his hometown of Jasper, Tenn. to place the rest of the flags.

By C.B. Schmelter 1 min read

People used their Memorial Day to visit the Chattanooga National Cemetery on Monday, May 25, 2020 in Chattanooga, Tenn.