Honoring Veterans
Ron Burton, left, and Greg Austin, with the Russell County Disabled American Veterans (DAV) Chapter 51 Honor Guard, placed flags at veterans’ graves in the Russell Springs City Cemetery Friday.
By Wade Daffron
TJ Editor
Just before Memorial Day, a small group gathered at the Russell Springs Cemetery with a formidable task.
With the morning sun beating down, they walked slowly between the gravestones-stopping occasionally to plant an American Flag.
There walked Larry Skaggs, who has served various roles in city/county government, law enforcement, and most proudly as a veteran.
Larry Skaggs, foreground, and John Ferrucci, background, honored veterans by planting flags at the Russell Springs City Cemetery last week.
Skaggs would stop and solemnly nod at the final resting place of people he knew personally or knew through the brotherhood of service.
A couple of rows away, Celebrity Chef/popular local columnist John Ferrucci, who moved here “from up north” (as we say around here), carefully scanned the ground for the markings of veterans’ graves.
Greg Austin, a fixture at many local veteran functions, held a bundle of flags as he traversed the cemetery.
U.S. Navy Veteran Roy Kimbler reverently paid his respects as he carefully positioned flags at the appropriate spots.
From left, Roy Kimbler, Larry Skaggs, Ron Burton, Greg Austin, James Clark, and John Ferrucci represented the Russell County DAV Chapter 51 Honor Guard last week as flags were placed at the final resting place of veterans at the Russell Springs City Cemetery.
There were others there too, silently and ceremoniously paying their respects that day-watching as “Old Glory” was placed at the foot or head of veterans’ final resting place.
“I believe this is the first time something like this has been done here,” Ron Burton, with Russell County Disabled American Veterans (DAV) Chapter 51 said. “We had talked…and had some meetings…and decided this was something we really wanted to do.”
James Clark, a champion of veterans, said the local DAV Honor Guard had approximately 200 small, American flags in their possession, and nearly 150 were to be placed at the cemetery.
“We’d like to do this every year from now on if we can,” Burton said.
