By AMY ADAMS
For The Reporter
In 2020, when Carmel resident Deb May heard that the traditional flag placement wouldn’t take place at Carmel Cemetery because of COVID restrictions, she decided to take matters into her own hands.
May’s father, Loren Haskett, served as a technical sergeant during World War II with the 1st Infantry Division, nicknamed “The Big Red One” after the shoulder patch worn by the soldiers. Haskett stormed Omaha Beach on D-Day … and lived to tell about it. When Haskett passed away in 2008, he was laid to rest in Carmel Cemetery, and May wasn’t about to let a year pass without seeing a flag placed on his grave for Memorial Day.
She contacted local Scout troops who were eager to help out not only because of their desire to honor our nation’s heroes but also due to the fact that service opportunities were hard to come by during COVID.
Deb and her husband have continued to “wrangle” the flags each year since 2020, according to Brad May.
“We take care of the flags and come and oversee the placement and removal of the flags,” Brad said. “We go through every flag, and if any are worn out, we bundle them for proper disposal.”
The VFW provides any new flags that are needed, and the American Legion stores them during the year.
This year, Scouts BSA Boys Troop 107, Girls Troop 1070, and Cub Pack 126 from Westfield and the Innovation 1 Swim Team from Carmel Swim Club were on hand to place flags on Saturday, May 27.
Retired Army medic Kyle Jordan and other family members look on as Carmel Swim Club swimmers Grayson Cardona, Annie Lefever, Vivian Jordan, and Jack Lefever place flags and show their respect at a service member’s grave. (Reporter photo by Amy Adams)
Andrew Fitzgerald, a colonel with the Indiana Guard Reserve and a leader with Carmel VFW Post 10003, offered instruction on how to properly place the flags at gravesites and pay respects to fallen service members. Then Scouts, swimmers, and family members received maps from Laurie Andrews, whose husband Todd Andrews manages Carmel Cemetery. The sectioned-off cemetery maps identified the graves of more than 300 service members.
Later in the evening, the Andrews placed about 20 flags at Poplar Ridge, a smaller cemetery that dates back to the 1800s and falls under the umbrella of Carmel Cemetery.
Carmel Swim Club team Innovation 1 chose to participate in the flag placement as one of their two service projects for the year. Swimmer Vivian Jordan’s father, Kyle, a former Army medic, helped coordinate the effort.
“It’s a service that needs to be done,” Jordan said.
“And it’s a great opportunity to give back,” said Innovation 1 Coach Melanie Pulley.
Other Innovation 1 families joined the Jordans.
“We have family members who have served, so my son Grayson was all in on it,” said Julie Cardona.
Among Scout families placing flags together were the Jorays and the Pacovskys.
Life Scout Eliza Joray came to serve with her father, Girls Troop 1070 Scoutmaster Craig Joray, and her mother, Kara, who is an assistant Scoutmaster.
Christopher Pacovsky, Cubmaster for Pack 126, and his wife Kristina placed flags with their sons, Oscar and Conrad.
Coordinated by Boys Troop 107 Scoutmaster John Miles, Scouts from the boys and girls troops returned to Carmel Cemetery for the ceremony on Monday. They returned a third time on Tuesday evening to help remove the flags for safekeeping and to place a coin on the gravestones as a symbol that they paid their respects to the service member.
You can find out more about these Scouting units at troopwebhost.org/Troop107Westfield/Index.htm and pack126.info, about Carmel Swim Club at teamunify.com/team/incsc/page/home, and about Carmel VFW Post 10003 on their Facebook page at facebook.com/CarmelVFW.
(Above left) Kristina Pacovsky holds flags as her son Conrad places a flag at a service member’s grave. (Above right) Cub Pack 126 Cubmaster of Christopher Pacovsky and his son Oscar show respect as they place flags. (Reporter photos by Amy Adams)