Local Veteran Would Like To See Us Flag On Every Pole In Avenue Of Flags
A United States burial flag is provided, at no cost, to drape the casket or accompany the urn of a deceased veteran who served honorably in the U.S. Armed Forces. It is furnished to honor the memory of a veterans military service to his or her country.
The U.S. Post Offices are the primary issuing point for burial flags.
The flag is typically given to the next of kin as a keepsake after its use during the funeral service. When there is no next of kin, the Veterans Administration will furnish the flag to a friend making a request for it.
Most of the Department of Veterans Affairs national cemeteries display an Avenue of Flags. The Avenues consist of burial flags donated by the families of deceased veterans and provide a unique visible tribute to all of our nations veterans.
The Great Lakes National Cemetery in Holly Township accepts donations of burial flags for its Avenue of Flags.
Linden resident Craig Newberry is a U.S. Marine Corporal. As a tanker in Vietnam, he spent every day in the field, supporting the combat troops. The second highest combat death group was tankers, he said.
Newberry said most people are unaware that the flags used in the Avenue of Flags are donated by families of deceased veterans. He added that the national cemeteries dont have extra funds in their budgets to purchase new flags.
Remembering Military Veterans In Holly Michigan
The Great Lakes National Cemetery in Holly, Michigan, standsas a memorial to the lives and service of our country’s military veterans.
This cemetery is about 50 miles north of downtown Detroitand one of two in Michigan providing a site to properly honor vets and theirspouses after their deaths by providing affordable burial services and abeautiful place for others to visit and remember them .
Our recent visit to the Great Lakes National Cemetery cameon a clear and crisp fall day. Even though it was a weekday, a fairly steadystream of visitors walked along the memorial sites and attended funerals in thequiet lakeside setting.
The 544-acre cemetery is relatively new, opening to acceptits first burial in 2005. It is the final resting place for about 7,000 people withonly about a quarter of the cemetery currently under development. Thereis still much open land at the cemetery as officials expect development of thesite to span the next several decades.
What really struck me about the cemetery was its beautifullakeside setting and its network of walking paths, many of which border FaganLake in the cemetery.
Fagan Lake takes its name from one of Holly’s earliestsettlers, Terrance Fagan, who received a portion of the land now occupied bythe cemetery as a land grant from the Federal government in 1836.
For the curious, of which I obviously am one because Ilooked this up, Fagan’s final resting place is in Hadley Cemetery in nearbyGroveland Township.
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Michigan Is Home To The Smallest Military Cemetery
Most people can envision the rows and rows of headstones of brave veterans laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery. Michigan is also home to a few large national cemeteries like the Great Lakes National Cemetery in Holly or Fort Custer National Cemetery near Battle Creek. On a hill overlooking Camp Grayling is a small cemetery containing two American soldiers. The Stars and Stripes wave at the top of a hill in Hansen Hills Recreation Area. It is there among the trees you will find a fence with a sign U.S. GOVERNMENT MILITARY CEMETERY.
Laid to rest are Private First Class John A. Conroy and Private George A. Laine. Conroy serving in the National Guard at Camp Grayling when he died of pneumonia in August 1927. Laine drowned in nearby Frog Lake on July 14, 1939. It is lost to history as to why the men were buried where they are but they would not have been eligible to be buried in a National Cemetery since both soldiers were on duty with the State Militia, as opposed to the active Army. The little cemetery is maintained by Camp Grayling and if you take the path for the disc golf course you will come across this little graveyard for two men who deserve to be remembered.
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Directions From Nearest Airport
From Detroit Metro Airport and points south of Detroit: Take I-94 West to I-275 North, about 18 miles to I-96 West toward Lansing about 18 miles. Take U.S.23 North to Flint. Take Thompson Road Exit 84, turn right on Thompson Road, go to Fenton Road, turn left on Fenton Road, go to Baldwin Road, turn right on Baldwin Road, go to Holly Road, turn right on Holly Road, go to Belford Road, turn left on Belford Road cross the railroad tracks. The cemetery is on the right after crossing the railroad tracks.
From Ann Arbor and points South: Take U.S. 23 North toward Flint. Take Thompson Road Exit 84, and follow the directions from that point above.
From points East of Detroit: Take I-75 N to Holly Road . Turn left onto Holly Road then turn left onto Belford Road.
From Lansing and points West: Take I-69 E toward Flint, merge onto I-75 S toward Ann Arbor/Detroit. Take Holly Road . Turn right onto Holly Road, turn left onto Belford Road.
From Bishop Airport, Flint: Merge onto I-75 S toward Ann Arbor/Detroit. Stay on I-75 to Detroit. Take Holly Road . Turn right onto Holly Road, turn left onto Belford Road.
From Saginaw, Bay City, and points North: Take I-75 S toward Flint and follow the directions from Flint.
Fax all discharge documentation to the National Cemetery Scheduling Office at 1-866-900-6417 and follow-up with a phone call to 1-800-535-1117.
For information on scheduled burials in our national cemeteries, please go to the Daily Burial Schedule.
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Ceremony And Volunteer Information
We are happy that you are willing to help with our Wreath Across America Wreath Laying Event at Great Lakes National Cemetery. Please do not forget to register to volunteer! That way you will get all updates about the cemetery itself.Here are some things to remember about the ceremony:
- Everyone of all ages and backgrounds is welcome.
- Please help ensure that all participants get the opportunity to place a wreath.
- Please follow the location coordinators instructions on where to place wreaths, as well as “how” they should be placed
- Please follow CDC Federal Covid guidelines while at the cemetery
- Remember!!! We lay these wreaths to honor our veterans. Please do not take or remove wreaths from the cemetery.
- We especially appreciate volunteers willing to help clean-up. Please check in with the location coordinator if you are interested in helping with the clean-up. Clean-Up Day is Saturday – January 22, 2022.
- Grave blankets, wreaths that are not from WAA or any personal items that have been placed at a grave site are not to be removed.
The most important thing to remember is to have a wonderful experience placing Wreaths to achieve our mission to remember, honor and teach.
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About The Great Lakes National Cemetery
The Great Lakes National Cemetery, located in Holly, MI, is a burial ground that offers funeral and burial services. The Cemetery provides information about their funeral and burial policies, burial records, plot records, and other Holly Cemetery records.
Interested parties may contact the Cemetery for questions about:
- Information about funerals and burials
- Holly burial records
County Office is not affiliated with any government agency. Third party advertisements support hosting, listing verification, updates, and site maintenance. Information found on CountyOffice.org is strictly for informational purposes and does not construe legal, financial or medical advice.
Great Lakes National Cemetery Not Just For Veterans
HOLLY TOWNSHIP, Michigan — Ann Trest likes to ride her bicycle through the 544-acre Great Lakes National Cemetery, where she admires the impressive headstone alignments, the upkeep of the grounds and the beauty of bordering Fagan Lake.
Trest lives with her husband, Robert, minutes away from the cemetery. She watched it being built this decade and has occasionally attended Memorial Day events there. As the wife of a war veteran, she’s also designated the grounds as her final resting place.Great Lakes National Cemetery, 4200 Belford Road in Holly Township, is one of two national cemeteries in Michigan and provides service to the hundreds of thousands of veterans across Michigan. It may also be the best-kept secret in terms of who can take advantage of its services.
“I wonder how many of the veterans even know it’s here, what the deals are?” said Ann Trest, 67. “I bet you a lot of them don’t even know it’s here.”
Any veteran and his or her spouse is eligible for burial at any national cemetery, with benefits including opening and closing of the grave, perpetual care, a headstone, burial flag and presidential certificate at no cost to the family, said Melanie Jillson, program assistant at Great Lakes National Cemetery.
“It’s amazing the number of people that are under the impression the cemetery is for the veterans only,” said Al Sturm, a prearranged funeral counselor for Sharp Funeral Homes, which has locations in Swartz Creek, Fenton, Linden and Grand Blanc.
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Great Lakes National Cemetery
Great Lakes National Cemetery is a United States National Cemetery located in Holly, Oakland County, Michigan. It was established in 2005, and is one of two national cemeteries in Michigan . Administered by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, the cemetery covers 544 acres and, as of 2014, had over 23,000 interments.