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Veterans groups remember their comrades

(5/3) Walking through local cemeteries you might see a bronze-like medallion on the ground in front of the graves. More than 300 were placed on graves in the area to mark the service that these men and woman gave their country whether it was in the Revolutionary War or the War in Iraq.


Local veterans groups spent two weekends placing round markers on the graves of all of the veterans’ graves in Emmitsburg as a way of recognizing their service. About 325 markers were placed next to veterans’ headstones.

“We placed them on quite a few Revolutionary and Civil War veteran graves. Some of the gravestones were so old that you couldn’t read them,” said Project Coordinator Bob Dinterman.

Dinterman estimates that about 325 markers were placed on graves over two weekends in April. The markers can be found in the Lutheran cemetery, Emmitsburg Memorial Cemetery, St. Anthony’s cemetery, the old Presbyterian cemetery on Route 15, the old and new St. Joseph’s cemeteries and the old United Church of Christ cemetery by Shriver’s Meat Market.

“Every year, we place flags on the veterans’ graves on Memorial Day and we leave them up through the 4th of July,” Dinterman said. “This is our way of distinguishing those graves easily all year.”

The markers are round and about six inches in diameter. A star is imprinted on the marker with the words “U.S. Veteran” on it. At the top of the marker is a hole where the Memorial Day flags can be inserted.

The Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 6658, American Legion Post 121, Sons of the American Legion and Knights of Columbus all participated in this project. On Memorial Day, scouts will help the veterans place the flags in the new markers as we remember our veterans.

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