Each year, Scouting organizations in our community place flags on the 18,000+ graves of U.S. military veterans in the Marietta National Cemetery.  This service project is carried out on the Saturday before Memorial Day, to help prepare the cemetery for the Memorial Day ceremony. The heart of the ceremony is when scouts place flags in front of grave markers of our nation’s veterans and salute the soldier and their sacrifice to our country and our freedom.  While most of the rest of the scouting year is about fun and achievements, this day is about honor and values.

The event began in the Cobb District of the Atlanta Area Council (AAC) of the Boy Scouts of America, in cooperation with the National Memorial Day Association of Georgia.  It is currently hosted by the AAC Foothills District.  Over two decades it has grown to include members of both Boy Scouting and Girl Scouting organizations, and all are welcome regardless of where their Scouting organization is located.

There is a short opening ceremony, which includes Presentation of the Colors, a rifle salute and the playing of Taps. Instructions for properly placing the flags are given, and Scouts are dismissed to spread throughout the cemetery and place the flags.  The flags are located at stations throughout the cemetery and are distributed to each Scout in small quantities so that everyone gets a chance to place some flags.

Marietta National Cemetery is located at 500 Washington Avenue Northeast, Marietta, GA 30060.  The cemetery borders on Roswell Street (120) and is a few blocks east of the Marietta Square. Parking is available at the Charles D. Switzer Public Library, 266 Roswell Street, directly across from the cemetery.

Pack  471 will meet about 40 yards in from the main gate at the Northwest corner of the cemetery starting at 8:00 AM.  Come early as once the flag placements start, it will take less than one hour to place flags on all the markers.