A virtual Memorial Day? How groups plan to pay tribute during pandemic
Memorial Day has traditionally been a day filled with parades, flag ceremonies and other gatherings to honor veterans.
As the coronavirus pandemic forces people to stay out of crowds, however, this year could look different.
Groups around the country are planning new ways to pay tribute to those who have served. In some communities, virtual ceremonies will take place. Several veterans groups also plan to hold a virtual commemoration Monday to honor those who serve.
“This year, by necessity, will be different from past Memorial Day observances,” U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs Secretary Robert Wilkie said. “While the department can’t hold large public ceremonies, VA will still honor Veterans and service members with the solemn dignity and respect they have earned through their service and sacrifice.”
The VA said live streams, videos and photos from all ceremonies will be shared on the National Cemetery Administration’s social media accounts.
The Boy Scouts of America is also planning to honor veterans digitally, according to a news release.
Scouts across the country will be posting public, digital tributes to veterans through the Veterans Legacy Memorial, which houses profiles of all 3.7 million veterans who are interred in one of the country’s national cemeteries, the group said.
“Our Scouts learn the importance of duty to country and of honoring the people who served it through the values outlined in the Scout Oath and Law,” Boy Scouts of America CEO Roger Mosby, a U.S. Navy veteran, said in the news release. “It is our privilege to work with the Department of Veterans Affairs to show our gratitude to fallen service members who otherwise may not receive the attention they deserve during this trying time for our country.”
Boy Scouts have typically planted flags on the graves of veterans for Memorial Day, a tradition that was banned due to the coronavirus pandemic, Fox News reported.
Other Memorial Day traditions such as running in races or hosting parades will also look different this year.
The Memorial Day Virtual Running event hopes to honor veterans by running a 21k, which is about 13 miles.
Virtual 10k and 5k races will also take place, including the annual Memorial Day Veterans 10k and 5k fundraiser. Racers time their run using a GPS device and report it on social media, the planners said.
“We do not know one promise these men made, one pledge they gave, one word they spoke; but we do know they summed up and perfected, by one supreme act, the highest virtues of men and citizens,” the event planners for Memorial Day Virtual Running said on their website. “For love of country they accepted death, and thus resolved all doubts, and made immortal their patriotism and their virtue.”