SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO.com) -- For over the past decade, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, and members of the Civil Air Patrol spend part of a day placing American flags on the graves of veterans at Hills of Rest Cemetery in preparation for Memorial Day.
For the member of the Sioux Falls Composite Squadron of the Civil Air Patrol, the event is one of its longest standing continuous public commitments. Members don't just place flags on the graves, they also salute the service member.
Thursday was the day to prepare the cemetery for Memorial Day.
CAP Col. Mary Donley has been nearly all of the ceremonies and helped lead cadets and senior members in placing flags on graves and honoring veterans.
"It's important to me to give back to those who gave to our country," Donley said. 'They kept it so we can have all this freedom."
Donley was the first woman commander of the South Dakota Wing of the Civil Air Patrol and is a 50 year member of the organization.
Cadet Chief Master Sergeant Jacob Roth has participated in a couple of the events. The soon-to-be high school graduate wants to pursue a career the military.
"It's very moving," Roth said. "It reminds me of the sacrifice these brave souls have made."
Another cadet, Cadet Chief MasterSergeant Sydney Cloutier, is also graduating from high school. She has also just enlisted in the South Dakota Air National Guard.
"It's part of family for me now," Cloutier said. "It's heartwarming to see all these flags placed on these graves."
Hills of Rest holds a short ceremony then a supper for the volunteers before they get their maps and their flags.
Of the 15,000 people buried at Hills of Rest, about 3,200 hundred of them are veterans of the armed forces. Some veterans served in World War I; others in more recent wars, such as the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Some served in peacetime.
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Note: KELO.com News news director Todd Epp, the author of this article, is also the commander of the Sioux Falls Composite Squadron and a Lt. Colonel in the Civil Air Patrol, the official auxiliary of the United States Air Force..