For many of us, Memorial Day is a time we gather with family for picnics, barbecues and campouts. That often includes a trip to the cemetery to decorate the graves of lost loved ones, and may also include attending a remembrance service in honor of military members who have given the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom.

There is a segment of our population, however, who are no longer able to participate in any of those things. Many of them are either veterans or widows/widowers of veterans themselves. Callaway Good Life Center recognizes the importance of Memorial Day for our senior citizens, and after a pandemic-related hiatus for a few years this year the staff brought back the Walk of Flags program.

“We send fliers out to current and past families of residents giving them the opportunity to be included with a flag,” explained Good Life Activity Director Tammy Coons.

“If they choose, family members can send us a small donation and we put their name or the name of their family member on a flag out along the front walk in remembrance or in honor of their loved one, past or present,” added Administrator Todd Sutherland.

The Walk of Flags was held on Friday, May 26. Though the original plan was to hold the event outdoors in the front lawn, no one complained about the rain that kept them inside.

Sutherland explained the the funds raised through the donations for flags were compiled with a grant the facility received from the Custer County Foundation, and are being used to purchase a new wheelchair scale for the bathhouse at Good Life Center. “We use the money to help the residents out,” he said.

The program itself was presented by Callaway veteran Doug Boldt, a member of American Legion Post 59. He has been a member of the post for 48 years, and has been very active in American Legion at the local, county, district, state and national level throughout the years. He most recently served as National Vice Commander.

Boldt spent six years serving in the US Navy Reserve, joining in 1967. He was deployed to active duty in 1969 and served two years in Vietnam on board two different ships. After his return to the U.S. Boldt spent the remainder of his service as a reservist.

He relocated to Custer County in the early 1970s, and moved to Red Fern Table south of Callaway in 1976, and west of Callaway in 1979 where he still resides.

“As some of you may remember, after World War II patriotism in this country was really high. Then came the Korean War, and what did everybody call that? The forgotten war,” said Boldt as he began his presentation. “Then we had the Vietnam War, and they used the flag to protest against the military that was fighting the war. Patriotism was really, really low. And then came 9/11. That sparked another period of patriotism, and it is starting to dwindle again a little bit now.”

Boldt then shared the history of Memorial Day, which began in 1866 following the Civil War. For many years it was known as Decoration Day. The poppy as a symbol of Memorial Day, Boldt shared, came about in 1919 during World War I. Since then the Legion Auxiliary has been handing out poppies made by veterans.

“There are two days of the year set aside for the remembrance of veterans - Veterans Day and Memorial Day. But veterans day should be every day. For our gold star mothers - those who have lost a son in battle - every day is Memorial Day,” said Boldt.

Boldt then became visibly emotional as he shared a story of a conversation he had with a woman whose son was missing in action (MIA). “She said, ‘You know how many times I see him in a crowd?’ Every day for this gold star mother is Memorial Day.”

“I saw a t-shirt once that said, ‘When one is deployed, everyone serves.’ Think about that phrase for a minute. Everyone serves - and today we honor the families of those who gave their lives to serve,” Boldt added. “We call that ‘Called to Order at Post Everlasting’. We also honor those veterans who now call the Good Life Center home: Bill Benjamin, Charles Trumbull and Herbert Gerhardt.

“Let us recommit ourselves to the cause of freedom, and the legacy that our fallen heroes will never be forgotten. We continue to mourn their loss, but most of all we celebrate their lives.”