Cushing, Oklahoma - Fairlawn-New Zion Cemetery Memorial Flagpole

The flagpole was erected by Cushing American Legion Donaldson-Walker Post 108 in 1935. At the time, the cemetery, where the flagpole is located, was named Fairlawn Cemetery, but was renamed to its current name when it was consolidated with the adjacent New Zion Cemetery. The tall conspicuous flagpole is located just south of the Fairlawn Cemetery Gate 3 entrance, adjacent to and on the west of 2 small office buildings. The flagpole is anchored in a concrete pad with an imbedded marble tablet at its base. The tablet features an American Legion emblem and is inscribed: “ERECTED BY POST 108 1935” and further inscribed with the names of seven officers of the Post. New Zion Cemetery is the final resting place of Irvin Donaldson, for whom American Legion Post 108 in Cushing is named. The memorial flagpole site is a focal point for veteran and patriotic ceremonies and celebrations, as well as veteran funerals, in the city of Cushing during the year. Veterans Service Organizations and Auxiliaries, veterans associations and organizations, and civic and community organizations all participate in events hosted at Fairlawn-New Zion Cemetery. (Note: Cushing is a city in southeastern Payne County, in north-central Oklahoma, with a population of 7,796 in 2016. It is some 70 miles northeast of Oklahoma City, and is nicknamed “The Pipeline Crossroads of the World,” as it is one of the largest crude oil storage locations in North America.)