WESTWOOD—Los Angeles National Cemetery will not hold the tradition of placing flags on veterans’ graves for Memorial Day, Monday, May 25 due to COVID-19.
The Boy Scouts of America Western Los Angeles County Council holds a yearly tradition of placing flags on Memorial Day in honor of fallen veterans. Due to the coronavirus and social distancing orders, the traditions will be canceled this year, according to the U.S Department of Veteran Affairs.
According to the Memorial Day Flag Placement- Los Angeles National Cemetery Facebook page:
“Dear Scouting Family, I am sorry to announce that the scheduled May 23, 2020, LA Cemetery Memorial Day Flag Placement event has been canceled. At this time gatherings of this size are not permitted in the state of California. Right now, the cemetery is only open to families and limited visits are allowed.”
The U.S Department of Veteran Affairs released the following statement:
“Cemetery staff will conduct a wreath-laying ceremony to officially commemorate Memorial Day. While we cannot extend an invitation to the public to attend due to health and safety concerns, NCA will share pictures of the event on Facebook and other social media.”
