Volunteers to flag veteran’s graves in West Springfield

WEST SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – Memorial Day is just a few days away and the West Springfield community is already showing appreciation for those who fought for the country.

On Saturday, the community gathered at St. Thomas Cemetery to put flags on the graves of our fallen heroes. This is part of the town’s efforts to honor and remember local veterans. Town officials and community members gathered at the cemetery at 9 a.m. to put flags on more than 2,000 graves.

Wes Springfield Director of Veteran Services, Jorge Santiago told 22News that it’s important to show appreciation to those who made sacrifices and fought for our freedom, “The community in West Springfield is very involved with veterans. They always come out in big numbers to come and pay respect to fallen comrades that had served our country. Whether they died in war or natural causes, we are here to support and keep their memories alive.”

On top of this event, there are several other Memorial Day activities happening across the Pioneer Valley. Hadley is hosting a Memorial Day parade on Sunday at 2 p.m. There’s another parade in Whately at 11 a.m. The Agawam Memorial Day Parade is on Monday at 10 a.m.
Also, at 1 p.m. the town also held a wreath-laying ceremony to honor the veterans.

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Kiara Smith is a reporter who has been a part of the 22News team since March 2023. Follow Kiara on X @KiaraBSmith1 and view her bio to see more of her work.

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