Knights of Columbus continue tradition of placing flags at the graves of fallen soliders

BECKLEY, WV (WOAY) – Every year on the Friday before Memorial Day, the Beckley chapter of the Knights of Columbus, a Catholic fraternal organization, place flags at the graves of veterans.

“One of our cornerstones is patriotism, so we’re honoring our dead brothers with this activity,” Andy Appel, one member, said.

This year, they had a great turnout as members and youth from St. Francis de Sales joined them to honor the fallen.

While it is meant to honor those who were members of the church, they also place flags at the graves of any veterans they see along with way.

“I wanted to honor people that are in the military because when they said that they wanted to be in the military, they were putting their lives up for risk to save our country,” Zach Lindley, one young member of the church, said.

The group placed flags at St. Sebastian Cemetery, Blue Ridge Memorial Gardens, and Sunset Memorial Park.

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Anna Saunders
Anna Saunders is a weekend reporter for WOAY. With a diploma from Princeton Senior High School and a mother from Fayette County, she is no stranger to the area. She received a degree in Media Arts and Design from James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia and wanted to return home to start her career as a reporter.