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The annual Veterans Day tradition of placing flags at Riverside National Cemetery graves has officially been canceled as the U.S. government shutdown continues.
RELATED: Flags may not adorn Riverside National Cemetery graves this Veterans Day
Officials from the Orange County-based Honoring Our Fallen announced Tuesday, Nov. 4, that its A Flag For Every Hero program — which puts U.S. flags at veterans’ gravesites to honor them before Veterans Day — won’t happen and cited the limited staffing at the cemetery.
Officials from the U.S. Department of Veterans’ Affairs, which manages the Riverside cemetery, confirmed Wednesday, Nov. 5, that the annual Veterans Day ceremony, scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 11, also is canceled.
The flag event — which usually features an honor guard ceremony and thousands of volunteers planting the flags — had been scheduled for Saturday morning, Nov. 8. The flags would have been taken down Wednesday, Nov. 12, the day after Veterans Day.
“This decision was not made lightly; it comes after careful consideration of the significant staffing reductions and various logistical challenges we are facing, including limited access to facilities, trash management and traffic control,” Laura Herzog, founder of Honoring Our Fallen, which organizes the event, said in a statement.
Cemetery employees would be needed to manage traffic, ensure the safety of children and to manage restrooms, Herzog said.
“While we cannot proceed with the formal event, we encourage everyone to visit the cemetery to place a flag in honor of your veteran, friends, or loved ones.”
Military interments/burials continue at Riverside National Cemetery, which remains open from sunrise to sunset during the shutdown.
Herzog said the cemetery and her organization look forward to resuming the flag placement for Memorial Day.
For information, call Riverside National Cemetery at 951-653-8417.
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