In a tradition spanning many decades, community groups, under the direction of the City’s Veterans Officer and other veterans, have collaborated in planting American flags at the graves of veterans in the Newton Cemetery before Memorial Day. Greer Tan Swiston has been doing this for twenty years, starting by coordinating the efforts of Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts with the City’s Veteran’s Officer, Fred Guzzi. Sharyn Roberts recalls organizing the activity for at least two decades before that.
During these annual events, the scouts have met with veterans, including, as Swiston recalls, Carlton Merrill still fitting in his uniform. Over the years, however, fewer veterans are available to participate, as many have passed on and are buried in Newton Cemetery and honored with these flags.
Michael Mazzola is now leading the flag planting, following John MacGillivray’s earlier leadership, and Mazzola has been encouraging participation by the Sons of the Legion as veterans pass on.
Even after their years in Girl Scouts, Swiston and her daughter, Kayla, continue each year in flag planting. Since about 2016, with Swiston’s encouragement, the LigerBots high-school robotics team (for which Swiston is a coach and mentor) has been participating.
“The students love reading the headstones, and I show them how to identify a veteran’s headstone or plaque so they might find other veterans who chose to be buried outside of the City-designated veteran lots, as some prefer to be buried with their families,” Swiston says. “Regardless of where they are buried, they all have a right to be flagged and honored.” Beyond the connection with veterans, the students learn flag etiquette and how to maintain respect for the flag and for graves.
