Veterans remembered at Desert Lawn Cemetery in Calimesa

About 50 volunteers, including veterans, boy scouts and cub scouts, planted flags at the grave sites of U.S. military veterans at Desert Lawn Funeral Cemetery on Sunday morning.
By Bob Otto / Staff Photographer

CALIMESA - They came because they care. They came because they are grateful. They came in reverence for those who served, fought, and made the ultimate sacrifice for their country.

About 50 volunteers carrying armfuls of small American flags searched among the hundreds of grave markers on the vast green lawn of Desert Lawn Funeral Cemetery on Sunday.

These patriotic volunteers - veterans from the Yucaipa American Legion Post 426 and VFW Post 7347, Highland Boy Scouts Troop 19, and the Yucaipa Cub Scouts Pack 4 - searched for a very revered group of Americans resting for all eternity at Desert Lawn:

Americans who had served, fought, and died for their country - the United States military men and women of the Air Force, the Army, the Navy, the Coast Guard, and the Marine Corps.

When a flag bearer found a grave marker with the name of veteran on it, a flag was placed in the ground next to the marker. And when the final flag was placed, the cemetery was filled with over 300 flags waving softly in a silent breeze.

For 12-year-old Christian Lucas of Troop 19, this was his first time paying such an honor to America's veterans. "We need to recognize everyone who served and died for our country," Christian said.

The flag placing ceremony precedes the Memorial Day Commemoration, which will be held at Desert Lawn on Monday. Sherrie Hyman of Yucaipa wore her black POW MIA T-shirt inscribed on the back with, "You Are Not Forgotten."

Her arms were filled with flags as she stepped gingerly and respectfully among the hundreds of grave markers in search of those inscribed with the names of veterans.

Hyman, along with her fiance Howard Parkin a Navy veteran who served in Vietnam, adorned grave sites with flags for about an hour - at one small grave marker after another - such as that of Lester L. Lundorf. His marker read, Y2 US Navy, World War II, 1915 - 2005. Or that of Artys Ruth Brown, 2nd Lt. US Army, Korea, Nov. 9, 1919 - July 2, 2007.

"My dad John Hyman was in the Navy and served in World War II," Hyman said. "It means a lot for me to be here today to honor my dad and all of the veterans. Because of them we live in peace and in a free country."

Memorial Day Commemoration will begin at 10 a.m. on Memorial Day at Desert Lawn. There is plenty of seating and parking and the event will last for about an hour.

Desert Lawn Funeral and Cemetery
11251 Desert Lawn Drive
Calimesa, CA 92320
(909) 795-2451
www.caringfuneralservice.com.