Flags again planted at graves of fallen soldiers in Calverton National Cemetery

Thousands of volunteers representing Boy Scout, Girl Scout and Cub Scout troops from all corners of Long Island spent Saturday at Calverton National Cemetery planting flags at the graves of fallen soldiers to honor their service on Memorial Day weekend.

After going on hiatus for two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, more than 5,000 volunteers were on hand planting flags at the Suffolk County Council, Boy Scouts of America’s annual Memorial Day Flag Placement ceremony, organizers said. Among them were 2,600 volunteers from Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts, 1,200 from Girl Scout troops and more than 1,000 volunteers from other organizations, including the Civil Air Patrol, Island high schools and others who brought family and friends.

Lisa Kurtzrock, a troop leader for Troop 2197 from Girl Scout Service Unit 56 in Setauket, had been at the gravesites planting flags with her young daughter Lily, along with 20 other Girl Scouts that morning.

Kurtzrock’s late father, Kenneth Yassen, a Vietnam veteran and combat photographer, is buried in the cemetery. For Kurtzrock, scouts who place flags at the gravesites learn about giving back and understand what soldiers gave up for the country.

“I think it’s important for the kids to understand the sacrifices that our military have made for us and for our country, and it’s good for them to see the participants, all the active military people who are here and to understand our history,” Kurtzrock said.

Jillian James, a cubmaster for Huntington Cub Scout Pack 403, was taking part for the first time at the ceremony with her pack of 15 to 20 children, who arrived at 9 a.m. Despite the long lines of traffic getting in, the children were in good spirits as they planted flags, James said.

“The best part of the event was the recognition of our troops and our soldiers who have fought and are still fighting, and for the kids to recognize them, just the recognition of the service that our troops have given,” James said after organizers held a thank you ceremony for all the volunteers.

"The people who you have honored today are looking down smiling and saying, 'Thank you,' " said Jim Lynch, chaplain of American Legion Post 1941 in Port Jefferson and master of ceremonies.

As he watched scouts from BSA Cub Scout Pack 354 and BSA Scout Troop 354 in Port Jefferson Station finishing up their work, Rob DeStefano, a Pack 354 cubmaster, said that although scouts had earned service recognition for their volunteer work that day, it was having scouts see the principles of Scout law in action that was most important.

“There’s a feeling of patriotism and pride that comes into this, and those are values that never go out of style,” DeStefano said.