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Waukesha Memorial Day march set after volunteers answer the call
Waukesha’s VFW 721 Memorial Day march will happen next week after organizers said enough volunteers stepped up to help.
WAUKESHA, Wis. - Waukesha’s VFW 721 Memorial Day march will happen next week after organizers said enough volunteers stepped up to help.
What we know:
The update comes after FOX6 first reported last week that organizers were worried about whether they would have enough help to pull off the group’s inaugural Memorial Day march.
"We have great news to share – things have changed following the piece airing on FOX6, we had phone calls for volunteers," said Paul Zinck, VFW 721 post commander.
The VFW stopped holding a Memorial Day parade two years ago and hoped to bring it back this year in the form of a march.
What they're saying:
"That is going to happen! We’re very excited about that on Monday morning next week," Zinck said.
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Zinck shared the update as volunteers placed thousands of American flags at gravesites at Prairie Home Cemetery.
"It’s cool to just put another flag in the ground and say ‘thank you for your service," said Jack Daily, VFW 721 junior vice commander.
More than 30 people spent the morning placing flags at the graves of service members.
For Susan Blohm, the effort has become an important tradition that started when she was a special education teacher at Waukesha West High School.
"Today we have Waukesha Transition Academy, which is the 18-21 year olds. We also have South High School that’s helping out today," Blohm said. "And some former students I had since I retired in 2020."
Big picture view:
Blohm said it was physically difficult for aging veterans to stop at roughly 2,000 graves themselves. She said the effort gives current and former students a chance to learn about history and reflect.
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"There are veterans buried here from every war – one of our volunteers today said he saw a gravestone that was a veteran from the war of 1812," Zinck said.
Daily said seeing the community support veterans means a lot.
"To have the community come together for veterans, there’s nothing – it’s a feeling like no other," Daily said.
What's next:
The march begins at 10 a.m. on Main Street on Monday, May 25. People are invited to bring a photograph of a deceased service member close to their heart and carry it with them during the march.
The flags at Prairie Home Cemetery will stay up through Veterans Day in November.
Waukesha Memorial Day march; ‘critical’ need for volunteers
After two years without a Memorial Day parade, Waukesha's annual event returns this month, albeit in a different form. Instead of a parade, veterans groups are asking people to join them in a march.
The Source: Information in this post was provided by Waukesha VFW Post 721.