Legion adds to Avenue of Flags
After the last Main Street newsletter which highlighted the local American Legion Post's Avenue of Flags at Prairie Lawn Cemetery, contributions of support for the project enabled Legion members to add lighting and bases for an additional 80 flags.
The members were encouraged by the support and grateful for the donations.
"We were at a standstill on the project," said Legion member Larry Watts. "I know it will be tough to maintain the level of giving to honor all the veterans we will need to memorialize in the next few years, but the support from donors last spring certainly gave us a boost. We were able to move forward with additional lighting for the immediate future. After that we will have to see."
The Legion has been able to contract the electrical work at minimal cost through a friend of the post and Legion members do all of the manual labor. Current plans call for the Avenue of Flags to extend west to the cemetery gates and then branch north and south along the cemetery boundaries.
Legion members hope there will be enough funds to eventually include a sidewalk for visitors and family members to walk along while viewing the flags.
"We know the economy is down and people are careful about their spending," said Watts. "But the Avenue is all about the men and women who served to give us the freedoms we have. How can you put a price on what we owe them? We hope that Peabody alumni and veterans' family members and friends of the community will continue to donate to the Avenue of Flags."
Donations can be sent to Peabody American Legion Post 95, 108 N. Walnut, Peabody KS 66866.
