Younger generation keeps alive the tradition of decorating veterans’ graves
SHORELINEBy Jean Parietti
When visitors arrive at Holyrood Cemetery this weekend, they will see hundreds of American flags fluttering over the graves of veterans and those killed in combat.
It’s through the efforts of a small band of family and friends that the Memorial Day honor started years ago by their elders is continuing.
“Really in a big way, it’s kind of been a family tradition,” said Larry Kessler. For years, his dad, Jim Kessler, now 87; his late uncle, Bob Kessler; and other members of the Catholic War Veterans placed flags on graves at Holyrood and at Calvary Cemetery in Seattle.
Larry Kessler has been helping out steadily for 10 or 12 years, as aging members of the veterans group began passing away or ailments prevented them from helping out any more. Several years ago, the veterans group had to give up placing flags at Calvary because it was too hilly.
“We call up friends and get whoever we can to give us a hand,” said Kessler, a member of Our Lady of Fatima Parish in Seattle. Every year, the group of six to eight cousins and others — many of them who have never been in the service — meets at Holyrood about 8 a.m. on the Thursday before Memorial Day. Depending on how many volunteers show up, it takes two or three hours to place flags on the 400 to 500 graves that bear a military marker.
“At Holyrood, people really look forward to that when they come out and see all the flags. It really does look beautiful,” Kessler said.
Jim and Bob Kessler are the inspiration that keeps the younger generation committed to continuing the tradition, Larry Kessler said. “A lot of it would have died off if it wasn’t for guys like my dad and my uncle who kept it alive,” he said. “When you talk to people out at the cemetery, they’re very thankful and happy that somebody’s doing that. That makes it worthwhile.”
On Memorial Day, immediately following the cemetery’s 10:30 a.m. Mass, there will be a brief ceremony beneath a clump of large trees near the chapel. Bob’s son, Miles Kessler, will lead the ceremony, which will include the playing of “Taps” and a gun salute using blanks and infantry rifles from World War II. Veterans are welcome to be part of the ceremony, including firing the rifles for the salute. “They don’t even have to wear their uniform,” Larry Kessler said.
On the Tuesday after Memorial Day, the volunteers will return to Holyrood about 8 a.m. to collect all the flags from the graves and put them back in storage until next year.Kessler isn’t certain how long the flag tradition will live on.
“Who knows? Down the road it might end up tapering off, but not for a few years,” he said. “As long as we can get enough volunteers together, we’ll keep doing it and keep the old boys happy.”
GET INVOLVEDTo volunteer, call Larry Kessler at 206-284-2728.
June 5, 2013