Nine of the Encinitas Coastal Rotary Club ed hundreds of Rotarians from across District 5340 to participate in the second annual Operation Flags for Vets at Miramar National Cemetery on Saturday, May 24.
Club Art and Marilyn Jones, Marla Elliott, Jeff Dasch, Jan Dickieson and Don Sine, Ralph and Karen Hirschmann, and Laura Lingardo helped place thousands of American flags at the gravesites of veterans as part of this deeply moving Memorial Day tradition.
Unlike other national cemeteries, Miramar has not historically received federal funding for Memorial Day flag placement. Rotary stepped up to fill that gap, placing approximately 20,000 flags in coordination with cemetery leadership and the Department of Veterans Affairs, according to a news release.
Organized by the Rotary District 5340 Military Coordinating Committee (DMCC), this initiative ensures that each veteran interred at Miramar is honored with a flag—expanding the tradition long held at Fort Rosecrans to include this newer cemetery.
Flags remained in place through Memorial Day weekend, creating a poignant and inspiring backdrop for ceremonies held on May 25 and 26. Volunteers returned on Tuesday, May 27, to remove and store the flags for future use, the news release stated.
Encinitas Coastal Rotary stated in the news release that it is “proud to this important and solemn effort to and honor our nation’s heroes.” To learn more about the project or to make a donation, visit: https://rotarydistrict5340dmcc.com/-events/operation-flags-for-vets-2025.
Learn more about Encinitas Coastal Rotary at www.encinitascoastalrotary.org.
