Volunteers needed to display, put away 700 flags at Cape County Park North

In observance of Memorial Day, 700 American flags are set to line the Avenue of Flags route at Cape County Park North in honor of deceased veterans — but not without the help of dedicated veterans, patriots and volunteers.

Beginning at 6 a.m. Monday, Avenue of Flags chairman and U.S. Navy retired Capt. Dave Cantrell will oversee the flag placement with members of the Adult Teen Challenge Mid America lawn care crew.

And he’s still looking for more helpers, he said Friday afternoon.

Cantrell said 15 flags were added this year, which means 15 families will be putting out flags for the first time Monday. One family is traveling from Texas.

When Cantrell began overseeing the display three years ago, there were only 300 flags, he said.

“Teen Challenge helps me get them out, and then I have to strictly rely on volunteers to recover them,” Cantrell said.

And the flags would be on display the whole weekend if there were LED lights along the route — which is the next phase, he said.

“This isn’t a park plan; this is an Avenue of Flags plan,” he said. “All these things we do, we rely on volunteers and the generosity of the community,” Cantrell said, adding the new Freedom Wall at Cape County Park North cost nearly $200,000.

Cantrell said he would prefer civic clubs or organizations get committed to a holiday, so he’s not always “begging for help.”

In 2018, nearly 40 volunteers including Adult and Teen Challenge Mid America helped with the display. But this year, even with the uncertain number of volunteers, “people show up, we get it done, and we enjoy doing it,” Cantrell said.

He said for most of the volunteers, it’s more of a routine than an obligation.

“They come back and do it every time,” he said. “But Teen Challenge is a huge help to me. They get them out every morning. Not a lot of people want to get out at 6 a.m. and put flags out.”

World War II veterans started the Avenue of Flags tradition more than 20 years ago in honor of deceased veterans, according to Southeast Missourian archives.

Flags were delivered to the VFW, Cantrell said of the tradition’s inception, eventually creating the large collection of flags.

Additional dates the flags will be on display include Flag Day on June 15; Independence Day on July 4; Patriot Day on Sept. 11; and Veterans Day on Nov. 11.

For information about placing a flag in memory of a veteran or to volunteer with flag placement, call Cape Girardeau VFW Post 3838 at (573) 334-4438.

jhartwig@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3632