VIDEO: Beta Club, volunteers plant flags at graves to honor vets

ROCKINGHAM — Members of the Richmond Senior High School Beta Club, as well as volunteers from the public, planted more than 800 flags on the graves of veterans Tuesday morning at East Side Cemetery.

“It’s an eye-opener for me,” said Junior Stephanie Alvarado. “I didn’t realize how many veterans we have.”

Alvarado said she placed about three dozen flags herself.

Ed O’Neal, a retired lieutenant colonel who served 24 years in the military and a member of AMVETS Post 316, organized the event, which was scaled down from previous years. Typically, they put out about 2,500 flags over the 300 cemeteries within Richmond County. COVID-19 limited their fundraising opportunities.

“I think it gives them a greater awareness of service to our nation,” O’Neal said of the impact of the tradition for the youth. “They realize that all these men and women served. These kids get to see that and it gives them an appreciation for the service.”

O’Neal said it was great to see so many people volunteer their time to help out. He’s taken over leading the event since another AMVETS member, Jimmy Brigman, passed it on to him.

Timothy Chavis said that many individuals in his family have served as veterans. He was in the Marine Corps from 1977 to 2008. Events like this, Chavis said, allow people to have conversations about the importance of honoring veterans.

“They’re actually setting an example for other kids,” Chavis said. “That we can respect all these people that have died for us to be able to have our freedoms to go to school.”

RSHS Senior Jude Howard attended the event as part of Beta Club.

“You feel like you’re giving back and memorializing these people who fought for the freedoms we have,” Howard said.