Graves of the military dead at national cemeteries across the U.S. and in Chattanooga will lack the American flags placed by the Boy Scouts of America this year, and there will be no public Memorial Day ceremonies because of the coronavirus.
For decades in Chattanooga, a highlight of the scouting year has been placing flags on veteran graves that now number more than 50,000 on the hill rising from downtown’s southwestern corner.
National cemetery officials in Chattanooga say the move to cancel public activities is aimed at keeping people from gathering where social distancing could be problematic.
While formal ceremonies won’t take place, all 142 national cemeteries in the U.S. will be open for visitation for the Memorial Day weekend, and families and friends are welcome to place flowers or individual flags at veterans’ grave sites, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, National Cemetery Administration’s website.
“It’s not the scouts, it wasn’t their decision,” Chattanooga National Cemetery Administrative Office Bill Sachse said Monday. “The cemetery administration – as of today, anyway – they’re not allowing the flags to be placed this year. The reason for that is because of the social distancing and all the stuff from the virus.”