Vietnam Veterans Chapter 1148 members and BSA Scouts from multiple troops join forces

Flags were placed on Veterans graves at Bakers Forge Cemetery on Wednesday evening by BSA Scouts, Cub Scouts, and members of the Vietnam Veterans Chapter 1148. Pictured is Aaron Benjamin and Tucker Benjamin (father-son).

By Charlotte Underwood

LAFOLLETTE, TN (WLAF)- Vietnam Veterans Chapter 1148 members and BSA Scouts from multiple troops spent Wednesday evening placing flags on the graves of veterans at Baker’s Forge Cemetery. They will place flags at Powell Valley Cemetery on Friday at 6pm.

According to event organizers, flags are placed each year at Baker’s Forge Cemetery to honor the veterans there, as well as at Powell Valley to honor those veterans, which include Four-Star General Carl W. Stiner and his brother Colonel Tommy C. Stiner where they are buried side by side.

Vietnam Army Veteran Sgt. Danny McCulley, Vietnam Air Force Veteran Sgt. Edward Housley and Army Veteran Captain Vivian Loudy placed flags on the graves of veterans at Baker’s Forge Cemetery on Wednesday and Powell Valley Cemetery on Friday.

Army Veteran Danny McCulley and Air Force Veteran Eddie Housley with Vietnam Veterans Chapter 1148 help organize the event each year. It has been going on for the past eight to nine years. The Honor Guard did it up until about three years ago, according to Housley, which is when the Vietnam Veterans Chapter 1148 took it over.

McCulley has been organizing the event for years.

“We had over 1,000 flags to put out,” said McCulley.

“We do this each year to honor our departed comrades. We will always remember them, Housley said. The flags are paid for by fundraising through the Vietnam Veterans chapter and donations from individuals.

The Scouts learned how to recognize a veteran’s grave by the marker and learned what a Purple Heart designation meant and more than that, they learned what Memorial Day is really about, “honoring those who volunteered their lives to protect our nation and what it represents,” said Troop 310 Scoutmaster Chris Thacker.

Thacker also said that it was something the Scouts were “proud” to be a part of.

Pictured is the almost unreadable grave of a Civil War Cavalry Soldier.

“This is so good for the kids; it gives them the perspective of what Memorial Day is really about – honoring and remembering the men and women who served this country,” Thacker said.

He told the Scouts as they walked the rows of gravestones searching for those that belong to veterans, to “read the stones and reflect on the soldiers that lie here and understand that each and every one of them, whether you knew them or not, died with you in mind, and as Scouts we have given an oath to serve our communities and to me, there is no greater service than to help our armed forces, whether serving, retired or on the other side waiting for us.” (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED-05/23/2025-6AM)

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