Honoring fallen heroes of the past at Old Greencastle Cemetery

DAYTON, Ohio ( WDTN ) — The annual Memorial Day gathering at Old Greencastle Cemetery took place Monday, honoring the fallen heroes buried there.

Each flag represents one life lost in service at Old Greencastle Cemetery. Nearly 200 years later, this community remembers those who made the ultimate sacrifice for freedom.

Old Greencastle Cemetery is considered one of the oldest cemeteries in Dayton.

For Memorial Day, a group called Sons of the Union and Veterans of the Civil War honored some of their ancestors who fought for the Union during the Civil War.

This annual tradition goes back more than 15 decades and has been held at Old Greencastle Cemetery for the last 10 years.

Barbara Lynch, a lead organizer, curated the event with her husband Fred, a retired Air Force officer. Last year was the final ceremony he was able to witness, before dying suddenly in December 2023. This year, she laid flower petals down to honor his service.

“Our history is important. And if we don’t honor it and remember our history. it will be lost and our nation and our heritage is too important to be lost and forgotten,” said Lynch.

Several projects have been started to maintain the cemetery’s appearance, but local leaders are looking to the city for more to be done.

State Rep. Phil Plummer (OH-40) says it’s about honoring the sacrifice made by those buried at Greencastle.

“They didn’t get to fulfill their dreams. We are fulfilling our thanks to them. So, you know, we got to thank him or bless me. We live in the greatest country there is,” said Plummer.

Organizers say this tradition will continue as well as the efforts to clean up and preserve the cemetery property.

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