SAL leaders pay respect to veterans, first responders while at Spring NEC Meeting

It was a matter of coincidence, the family of Marion County Sheriff’s Deputy Jeffrey Jones coming out to his grave at Crown Hill Cemetery in Indianapolis shortly before a trio of buses conveyed a group of Sons of The American Legion national officers to the nearby Heroes of Public Safety Memorial.

The SAL contingent was participating in a Flying Flags for Heroes event on April 30 in conjunction with the SAL Spring NEC Meeting. SAL National Commander Michael Fox’s service project is aimed at placing flags on veterans’ graves across the nation.

There had been no plans to place flags on graves in the section set aside for first responders, but SAL PNC Dave Stephens and others who had arrived at the memorial before buses carrying Fox and others placed flags at Jones’ grave. The sheriff’s deputy, who died in a motorcycle accident, was a Marine Corps veteran.

Fox was introduced to the family when he arrived, the moment having an obvious effect on him when he spoke to the SAL.

“I’m not usually … at a loss for words,” Fox said. “Thank you all for coming out. Not only does it mean a lot to me for everyone to support the program, but it means a lot to the community—the people who just happen to walk by and show up….

“It’s truly an honor, and from the bottom of my heart, I want to thank each and every one of you for coming out today to show your support. Not only for the program, but for getting out and being involved in the community.”

Fox encouraged his audience to remember that it’s not only the veterans who served.

“While that veteran is gone, that family is also serving in another way,” Fox said.

Preston Sharp, a member of Squadron 521 in Rio Linda, Calif., and whose own nonprofit, Veterans Flags and Flowers, helped lead to Flying Flags for Heroes, thanked the NECmen and others who took time out of their Saturday afternoon to participate in the event.

“My goal with honoring veterans is to get the word out that we can honor veterans every day, and not just on a holiday,” said Sharp, who noted that he’s now participated in laying some 290,000 flags and flowers on veterans’ graves in 43 states.

Before gathering at the Heroes of Public Safety Memorial, which was dedicated in September 2002 to commemorate the 9/11 attacks and the death in the line of duty by Marion County Sheriff’s Deputy Jason Baker, the SAL contingent placed flags on graves in the veterans’ section of Crown Hill Cemetery.

Among those participating in the ceremony before the flag-placing was Richard Lind, a member of the Army National Guard and the Zionsville (Ind.) Police Department Honor Guard Team.

“I was happy to be asked to do this,” Lind said. “It’s a beautiful afternoon, great to see all these (people) from across the country get together to do this.

“It is a very humbling emotion to see all the flags out. Reminds me of being in Arlington (National Cemetery). I’m just overwhelmed by emotion.”