Some local cemeteries will allow Boy Scout troops and veterans groups to place ceremonial flags at the tombstones of military veterans this Memorial Day weekend. That won’t be the case at national cemeteries.
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has canceled the practice of placing American flags to honor service members buried at national cemeteries due to the coronavirus pandemic.
That affects time-honored traditions at Suffolk County's Calverton National Cemetery and the Long Island National Cemetery, Pinelawn.
Visitation has continued amid the pandemic at the national cemeteries on Long Island, where more than 500,000 military veterans are buried. Families are required to wear face coverings and maintain a six-foot social distance.
There are no national cemeteries in Connecticut, but state-run cemeteries say they will allow flag placement that follows social distancing.
Veterans groups and Boy Scout troops encourage the donation of small flags or money for them to clean up the gravesites.
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