BOURNE – Volunteers gathered Saturday at the Massachusetts National Veterans Cemetery in Bourne to place 77,000 flags on all the graves for Veterans Day.
Operation Flags for Vets began with a short ceremony at the flagpole at the end of the cemetery’s Avenue of Flags, followed by the placement of the flags.
Organizer Paul Monti is amazed at how much the effort has grown since 2011.
“What these people buried here fought and died for was equality, equality of everybody,” Monti said.
Volunteers of all ages, races and religions participate including World War II veterans in their 90s.
Monti created Operation Flags for Vets to honor his son SFC Jared Monti, who was killed in action in Afghanistan in 2006 and the recipient of the Medal of Honor.
“I’m on my 12th year of losing him now and it’s just like yesterday,” Monti said.
Jared was killed on his third attempt to rescue a fellow serviceman who was wounded.
Monti said Jared would be proud of the work he has done with Operation Flags for Vets to honor those who have served.
Volunteers will be needed on Sunday to remove the flags.
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