Scouts from across Suffolk County placed American Flags on each of the graves at Calverton National Cemetery this morning. That’s a tall order at the nation’s busiest national cemetery, where more than 6,000 burials take place every year and the total number of graves is now approaching a quarter-million.
Promptly at 9:30 a.m. Scouts, flags in hand fanned out across the 1,000-acre cemetery. Within about an hour, the Scouts, who have now been handling the task for 23 years running, have the job done.
It’s an impressive sight to behold.
“I moved here from Brazil four years ago,” said Veronica McFarlin, whose son Lorenzo is in Cub Pack 242. “The first time I saw the field of flags after they were done with the ceremony was breathtaking. It’s quite a sight,” she said. “In Brazil, for things like this, you hire people. Here you’re part of your community, your nation. It’s important for the kids.”
Calverton National Cemetery, one of two on Long Island, opened in 1978. Its takes in a little over 1,000 acres of land. More than 3,000 people who served in World War I are buried at Calverton National. Tens of thousands more who served in World War II are also buried there, including flying ace Francis S. Gabreski, for whom the Air National Guard base in Westhampton is named.
There is only one Medal of Honor recipient buried at Calverton National, Lt. Michael P. Murphy, a U.S. Navy SEAL who was killed in Afghanistan on June 28, 2005. Murphy, 29, a Suffolk County native who grew up in Patchogue, was killed during Operation Red Wings, a counter-insurgent mission in Kunar province, Afghanistan. He is interred in Section 67 (Grave 3710).
The Medal of Honor is the USA’s highest military honor, awarded for personal acts of valor above and beyond the call of duty.
PFC Garfield Langhorn Jr. of Riverhead is a Medal of Honor Recipient. Langhorn was killed in Vietnam on Jan. 15, 1969 when he threw himself on a live grenade to save the lives of wounded soldiers he was attempting to rescue from enemy attack. Langhorn is buried at Riverhead Cemetery. A road at Calverton National is named in his honor.
The Scouts will return to the cemetery next weekend to remove the flags and pack them away for next year.
RiverheadLOCAL photos by Courtney Blasl (Boy Scouts) and Dawn Bozuhoski (Girl Scouts)
The survival of local journalism depends on your support.
We are a small family-owned operation. You rely on us to stay informed, and we depend on you to make our work possible. Just a few dollars can help us continue to bring this important service to our community.
Support RiverheadLOCAL today.
