Fair Oaks Cemetery

On Memorial Day Weekend Troop 380 Scouts did their annual service project at the historical Fair Oaks Cemetery with Gabriel P. as the Scout in charge. On Saturday May 28 the cemetery held its big Memorial Day Service where the Scouts directed traffic, handed out programs and did an impressive flag ceremony during the service. The flag they raised has flown over our nation’s capital and will now fly over the cemetery’s “Veteran’s Memorial.” This year’s theme, which marks the 75th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor, was “Honoring the Pearl Harbor Survivors”. To commemorate the event “President Franklin D. Roosevelt” gave his famous “Day of Infamy” speech. The speech was originally delivered to Congress by FDR on December 8, 1941, within an hour after giving the speech Congress passed a formal declaration of war against Japan which officially brought the U.S. into World War II. The address is one of the most famous of all American political speeches. Other highlights of the service were guest speakers Congressman Ami Bera and Assemblyman Ken Cooley who were joined by DJ William Ruygt, a former Troop 380 member and an Eagle Scout, doing the sound system and playing big band music and songs of the WWII era. After the event the troop took down the chairs and awnings. In the afternoon we returned to the cemetery to take down the Avenue of Flags. Monday morning we put up the Avenue of Flags, returning in the afternoon to take down the flags. This is a popular service project; the Scouts enjoy being a part of a moving ceremony as well as receiving the gratitude of the public. This year 27 Scouts took part in the service project over the weekend.

The Avenue of Flags