4-H group gives homage to veterans

Connor Goff, Nate Melvin and Sam Melvin were putting out flags on veteran's graves at Forest Hill Cemetery Thursday morning. The boys are members of the Greencastle Stars 4-H Club.

GREENCASTLE -- This is the fourth year that members of the Greencastle Stars 4-H Club have been placing flags at the gravesites of American veterans in cemeteries around the county.

It began with 4-H leader Karen Goff's grandfather who was a World War II and Korean War Veteran. Ernest Rasner would take Goff out and place flags on the graves of veterans as Memorial Day approached.

When her grandfather passed away, she began taking her kids with her to her grandfather's gravesite and to other veterans' graves, placing flags on them. Four years ago she decided to invite her 4-H club to join her.

Club members learn about the flag and what it means prior to going out the cemeteries to place flags on veteran graves.

Will Niebold, the Putnam County Veterans Affairs Officer, spoke to the group before they began. He told them how much he, as a veteran, appreciated seeing the flags in cemeteries.

A few of the kids even have veterans as parents. The brother team of Nate and Zach Miller were proud to speak of their father, who served in the Navy. He re-enlisted recently and just left yesterday to serve as a chaplain on a navy vessel in the Mediterranean Ocean.

Several parents also had family members who serve or have served in the armed forces.

Forest Hill was not the only stop for the children. They were heading to the Old City Cemetery near Blackstock Stadium after they finished with Forest Hill. At 4 p.m. they were at Brick Chapel Cemetery placing flags there.

The 4-Hers were able to add Brick Chapel to their list of cemeteries, thanks to two businesses that donated more flags this year.

The Greencastle Stars 4-H Club took a moment to pose around the American Veteran's monument at Forest Hill Cemetery. This is the fourth year the club has placed flags on veteran graves. Seen here are Dani and Donny Brewer, Michala and Zach Cowley, Charlie Campbell, Anna Gast, Bailey and Connor Goff, Tori Gygi, Allie Holton, Zach, Josh, Nate, Sam and Abbey Melvin, Chance and Grace Merrill, Joshua, Jordan, Jayden, Janelle and Jace Miller, Katei Plasters, Jesse and Reese Riser, JenJe Jevor Strouder, Laramie Samantha Teal and Greencastle Stars 4-H leader Karen Goff.

"We really want to thank Hayes, Murphy, Sharp and Brackney and Cox Trucking," said Karen Goff. "Thanks to them we have 144 more flags to put out."