Service and sacrifice are two of the greatest expressions of American patriotism, and the LA National Cemetery exemplifies the spirit of American togetherness.
On Memorial Day (5/29), tens of thousands of flags will be placed to commemorate our fallen heroes as we hold time and space for those who cannot be forgotten.
But the day after, the flags are left on the cemetery grounds and need to be cleaned up. We’re looking for Angelenos to volunteer and help pick up 20 flags at the veteran cemetery.
From 6:30-9:30 a.m., on Tuesday, 5/30, +MPU will join UCLA’s Veteran Resource Center (VRC) to close out the weekend with another act of service: collecting flags at the LA National Cemetery to restore the gravesites for families, friends, and others who visit the next 364 days of the year.
What do volunteers do exactly? Here’s a quick video
The cemetery is home to war veterans from the Mexican-American and Civil wars all the way to the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, including 14 Medal of Honor recipients. Thousands of Americans visit this historic site throughout the year to find meaning in freedom, service, and a more unified future together. It’s there you’ll also find the grand commemoration of Abraham Lincoln’s Birthday on Feb. 12 and the Bob Hope Veterans Chapel, which both represent the importance of celebrating lifelong service.
We stay steadfast in service as the rest of the world moves on because we know that courage and service aren’t always popular or convenient. But it’s in these small acts of dedication that we honor those who gave the ultimate sacrifice.
If you’re in the area or know someone who is, please extend an invite to take part in an effort larger than each of us. There are 90,000 flags to be retired, but each and everyone respectfully collected not only recognizes the fallen person but their families and helps us continue a legacy of service, courage, and leadership.
If you’d like to join us at the LA National Cemetery — for the morning or for an hour — you can RSVP here.
