GRAFENWOEHR, Germany - Memorial Day was officially proclaimed on May 5, 1868 by General John Logan, the National Commander of the Grand Army of the Republic.

However, it was not until May 30, 1868 when it was first observed, when flowers were placed on the graves at Arlington National cemetery. In 1948 members of the U.S. Army 3rd Infantry (The Old Guard) started a tradition at Arlington National Cemetery known as ‘Flags In.’

The weekend before Memorial Day every available Soldier of the 3rd I.D. walks through the cemetery and places a flag on each grave.

In Germany, there is no Old Guard, but Grafenwoehr Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 10692 played their part in honoring our fallen comrades buried in Grafenwoehr and Eschenbach.

The week before Memorial Day several members of the VFW Post walked through the cemeteries and placed a flag on the graves of our dearly departed comrades. Members of VFW Tower Post 10692, along with members of the Vilseck High School Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps, Cub Scout Pack 261, Boy Scout Pack 261 and the local community gathered at the Grafenwoehr cemetery May 25 to honor those that came before us. The ceremony was held at the grave site of our latest fallen comrade, Joseph McCarthy, a World War II veteran. VFW Commander James Holliman presided over the ceremony.

Others sacraficed their day-off to participated in honoring the fallen?
“If the veterans or the Veterans of Foreign Wars fail to honor our departed comrades, who will?” VFW Senior Vice Commander Steve Hood responded.
“It is an honor and a privilege to come to a place such as this to pay our respect to those that sacrificed so much; so we may be here today!” Joe Livingston, the Post adjutant, said.

A follow-on ceremony was held at the Flossenburg Concentration Camp to honor two American pilots who were killed during the liberation of the camp and whose remains still rest there.