Area Veteran Organizes Effort to Place Flags on Graves

| May 25, 2020

CLARION CO., Pa. (EYT) – When the Coronavirus Pandemic threatened the placing of flags on veterans’ graves for Memorial Day, one veteran stepped forward to make certain veterans in our area would still be honored.

Following his graduation from Clarion-Limestone High School, area veteran Randy Wolbert Jr. went directly into the army. Then, was deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in 2013. Currently, he and his wife, Taylor, reside in Summerville.

When he heard there was a possibility that flags would not be placed on veterans’ graves for Memorial Day this year, he decided to act.

“I saw several articles about communities banning Memorial Day services and events, and a few more about how placing flags is also something else people were ‘prohibited’ from doing,” Wolbert told exploreVenango.com.

“So, I made a post (on Facebook) and lots of people were interested in helping out.”

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Wolbert reached out to the local community because he believes remembering our local veterans is important to everyone.

“It’s not about pride or ‘Oh, look what I’m doing,’ it’s about remembrance. It’s about recognizing those few that signed a blank check payable to the USA and unfortunately had it cashed.”

His plan was a simple one.

He communicated through social media and invited others to join him in placing flags on local graves. Additionally, he reached out to others who wanted to do the same thing on their own.

“Anyone willing to help could purchase a few flags and visit any cemetery they prefer to place them,” he noted.

While ultimately, Clarion County was able to procure flags for the graves of veterans, Wolbert still decided to continue with his plan.

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The “day of action” for the group working directly with Wolbert was set for Sunday, May 24.

He, his wife, and a friend gathered 300 flags – they were able to purchase 100 locally and another 200 were donated by Jake Bauer.

They started at the Summerville Veterans Memorial Bridge and then to two cemeteries in Summerville. Next, they traveled to the St. Marys Cemetery on Route 36 in Brookville and the Brookville Cemetery. From there, they went to Asbury Cemetery in Strattanville, the Zion Cemetery in Corsica, and the Clarion Cemetery. The group’s last stops were north of Clarion at Helen Furnace Cemetery and Allio Cemetery.

Overall, they worked for over two and a half hours and traveled over 50 miles placing flags on graves throughout Clarion and Jefferson Counties.

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