Ad

Bridgeport PeeWee Football Players to Place Flags on Veterans' Graves in Observance of National Holiday

By Julie Perine on November 05, 2018 via Connect-Bridgeport.com

Honoring past and present members of the U.S. military, Veterans Day will be observed Monday, Nov. 11 and thanks to some local young athletes, soldiers laid to rest at Bridgeport Cemetery will be paid tribute on this national observance.
 
“We will be putting out approximately 1,500 flags., said Tricia Bombardiere, Bridgeport Cemetery office administrator. “About 23 kids from Bridgeport PeeWee White volunteered, along with their parents, to make this happen.”
 
Coaches will also be involved, including Bombardiere’s husband, Mario.
 
The flags will be placed around 4:30 p.m. Thursday.
 
The sea of red, white and blue will look beautiful across the cemetery grounds, but the project goes deeper than meets the eye.
 
“I believe this is important for the community, including kids, to volunteer their time to honor our veterans who continue to sacrifice for us and their willingness to serve,” Bombardiere said.
 
The same flags will be used which are placed on military grave sights on Memorial Day. The local Boy Scouts provide that service annually, but the flags have not – at least in recent year – been placed for Veterans Day.
 
“I want to change that. We need to honor and recognize our veterans on Veterans Day as well,” Bombardiere said. “I’m excited that the little ones will be involved so they know what Veterans Day is about. I’m sure a lot of them think that it’s just a free day off from school.”
 
Observed annually on Nov. 11, Veterans Day honors those who served in the U.S. Armed Forces. The observance coincides with Armistice Day and Remembrance Day. Celebrated in other countries, those observances mark the anniversary of the end of World War I, on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918 when the Armistice with Germany went into effect. The U.S. used to observe Armistice Day, but in 1954 renamed the holiday Veterans Day. 
 
Memorial Day honors those who died while in military service and Armed Forces Day honors those currently serving in the military. 
 
Bombardiere said soldiers from all wars - from the Civil War forward - are buried at Bridgeport Cemetery. 
 
 



Connect Bridgeport
© 2024 Connect-Bridgeport.com