Every year leading up to the Memorial Day Parade the unmistakable red, white and blue flags of America begin to dot the Elm Street Cemetery, marking the graves of over 490 Dartmouth veterans.

Placed by Pack 74 Scouts, the Veterans Services Office and town volunteers, the flags are part of a longstanding tradition of remembrance. But over the years, some veteran graves have been unintentionally overlooked — lost to time, overgrowth or lack of records.

However, with a new map completed by Eagle Scout Jacob Anuszczyk of the cemetery’s veteran graves, the scouts hope to restore their memory and give every fallen service member the recognition they deserve.

“Being a veteran, I really appreciate that somebody takes the time to come out here and recognize these people,” Cubmaster Edward Nickerson said.  “I would really hope that someday, and hopefully it's a long time away, that when I’m gone, somebody remembers to put the flag on my grave.”

Though Anuszczyk was away on a camping trip, the new map was put to use Sunday morning, May 18 as volunteers got to work flagging the cemetery, preparing for the parade that is set to kick off from the town landing on Memorial Day Monday, May 26 at 9 a.m.

Nickerson said the Scouts’ service reflects their pledge to God, family and self and flagging graves each year is a key part of their duty to country.

This work teaches the scouts about history and the sacrifices that have made America what it is today, he added.

“Our country wasn’t free,” Nickerson said. “It cost lives.”

He noted how although the majority of the scouts who assist with the flagging are under the age of 13, he is proud of the respect and maturity they have demonstrated through staying focused and understanding how serious their work is.

Approximately 35% of scouts will eventually serve in the armed forces, Nickerson said, adding, “This is a good way for them to honor those who have come before them.”

He highlighted how the scouts also recently took a trip to New York, after a year of raising money, where they went to the Bronx Zoo, stayed on the USS Intrepid and visited the 9/11 Memorial. 

At the memorial, he said he was proud of how the kids were “on point” and “respectful,” asking good questions and getting a deeper understanding of the event that has shaped the country over the last two decades.

Nickerson, a fourth generation veteran inspired to enlist after the events of 9/11, said it was a “humbling moment” to be at Ground Zero.

His 10-year-old son, Kilian, a Cub Scout nearing his transition to the next rank, said he looks forward to flagging the cemetery each year because it’s a way to show kindness and respect. “Just being kind to people who passed away that were veterans,” he said. “They need respect.”

On Monday, the Scouts can be spotted in a truck crossing the Padanaram Bridge along with the rest of the parade, ending at the freshly flagged Elm Street Cemetery for a ceremony that includes remarks from Select Board Chair Heidi Silva Brooks and the reading of names of Dartmouth’s fallen soldiers.

This year, the rifle volley returns and will take place at the bridge, along with the playing of “Taps” and a prayer, according to Dartmouth Veterans Services Officer Matthew Brouillette.

In a change from previous years, the parade will end at Russells Mills Road. There will be no third ceremony at the World War I memorial outside the old police station.

Gold Star father Gerald Enos, whose son Peter died in Iraq in 2004, will once again serve as the parade’s grand marshal.

For questions or concerns about the parade, contact the Dartmouth Veterans Services Office at 508-910-1818.