Girl Scouts of Suffolk County plant flags at Calverton Cemetery in advance of Memorial Day
Approximately 50 girls from The Girl Scouts of Suffolk County (GSSC) honored Long Island military veterans who have made the ultimate sacrifice by planting American Flags at their graves at Calverton National Cemetery on May 24.
The annual event sees Girl Scouts install more than 500 flags in just one section of the more than 1,000-acre military cemetery, which is the final resting place for more than 275,000 Veterans from every American conflict. The flag installation is part of the GSSC county-wide Service Unit activities and included girls ages 5 to 16 from Mastic Beach, Shirley, and Moriches.
“We place the flag, we say the names out loud, and we salute the grave,” said Olivia Phillips, 17, of Mastic. “We do it to show that we understand that sacrifice and we wouldn’t be here without them.”
The girls also earned a special “Calverton National Cemetery” patch to wear on their sashes and vests to salute their service.
“It shows how we are honoring the people who are buried here,” said Gabreilla Greco, 11, of Shirley. “If we didn’t do this, I feel like no one would, and it’s important to honor them.”
About Girl Scouts of Suffolk County
Since 1968, Girl Scouts of Suffolk County has been committed to building girls of courage, confidence, and character who make the world a better place. With over 15,000 members, they are one of the largest youth-serving agencies in Suffolk County. For more information about the Girl Scouts of Suffolk County, please call (631) 543-6622 or visit www.gssc.us. Follow Girl Scouts of Suffolk County onFacebook, X, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn.
