Carrot-Top Cemetery Flags Link Generations, Honor History

The Historic Battle Grove Cemetery in Cynthiana, KY doesn’t let being in small town keep their patriotism on a small scale. Established in 1868, the cemetery has an extensive history and is the resting place of veterans who lived and died more than a century ago. For the past 15 years, local Boy Scout and Girl Scouts troops, along with their troop leaders, have placed Carrot-Top cemetery flags on the gravesites of veterans as a part of the Veteran’s Day program. According to Cemetery Superintendent Billy Grayson, “It’s thrilling to see boys and girls of all ages place flags on the graves of those who served our country long before the children were born. Having them here is like bringing the future to visit the past”. Boy and Girl Scout Troop Leaders thought the project would encourage community involvement and awareness, educate the scouts, and inspire civic responsibility.

The Historic Battle Grove Cemetery has two special programs where visitors place flags on the graves of veterans: Memorial Day and Veterans’ Day. The cemetery also has an Easter program where busloads of children from area schools visit the cemetery. Some of the schools even bring their band and hold a special program to honor deceased service members. Cemetery Superintendent Bill Grayson recommends such programs for other cemeteries. “It’s such a great experience to see kids of all ages here in the cemetery. Having them place flags on the graves of deceased veterans is a great way to honor our community. It’s a great way to connect us all, even those of us here in small Town, USA”, says Grayson. Carrot-Top would love to know about the patriotic projects in your community. Contact us for guidance, advice and suggestions about planning and developing opportunities to honor the heroes in your neighborhood and community.