LEWISTON, ME – The L/A Veterans Council and the City of Lewiston are asking the community to volunteer for an important annual effort to honor local veterans: placing American flags at their gravestones ahead of Memorial Day.

In accordance with a state law enacted in 2001, municipalities across Maine are required to place individual American flags at the grave of every veteran buried in their cemeteries. In Lewiston, this means placing approximately 7,500 flags across 13 cemeteries.

While smaller cemeteries are often supported by nearby residents, the city’s two largest cemeteries, Riverside and St. Peter’s, require additional volunteer support. Service organizations have adopted these sites over the years and coordinate the effort, but due to the scale of the project, more community help is needed.

Flag placement details:

Riverside Cemetery, 192 Summer Street, Lewiston

Saturday, May 17, 2025, at 8:30 AM

Rain date: Saturday, May 24, 2025, at 8:30 AM

Approximately 1,800 flags to be placed

Coordinated by the Knights of Columbus

Contact: Leo Baillargeon, 207-577-7424

St. Peter’s Cemetery, 217 Switzerland Road, Lewiston (meet at the Mausoleum)

Saturday, May 17, 2025 at 10 AM

Rain or shine

Approximately 4,500 flags to be placed

Coordinated by the L/A Veterans Council

Contact: Jerry Dewitt, 207-576-0376

Volunteers will be assigned to small teams and given a section of the cemetery to cover. Because no master list of veterans exists, participants will walk row by row, reading gravestone inscriptions. If military service is noted, a flag will be placed.

No pre-registration is necessary. Volunteers may arrive directly at the cemetery at the scheduled time and will receive instructions on-site.

Recommended items to bring include:

Screwdriver (to help insert flagpoles into the ground)

Work gloves

Sneakers or boots (in case of wet grass)

Water bottle, sunscreen, bug spray, and hat

Hand sanitizer

Children and youth are welcome to participate if accompanied by an adult

Company or organization T-shirts may be worn to show community support

“This is a hands-on and heartfelt way to pay tribute to those who served, especially veterans who no longer have family to remember them,” said Jerry Dewitt of the L/A Veterans Council. “Thank you for your support of our veterans this Memorial Day.”

Questions may be directed to the Lewiston City Clerk’s Office or to the individual cemetery coordinators listed above.