Boy Scout Troop 91 Honors Veterans at Crownsville Cemetery

Eleven Boy Scouts from Troop 91 arose early Saturday morning, put on their uniforms and headed out for some special volunteer work.

They began arriving at Crownsville Veterans Cemetery well before the 8 a.m. opening ceremony, which included the raising of the flag, presentations by guest speakers and the playing of “Taps.”

Troop 91 was there to complete a service project that consisted of placing flags on graves. They were joined by hundreds of others, including veterans, friends and families of the fallen, Cub Scouts, Girl Scouts, and other Boy Scout Troops.

About 500 people placed flags on 23,000 graves, said Scoutmaster Denise Boebert.

“You go from seeing no flags to seeing every grave have one,” she said.

“We do this every year with the Scouts,” said Ken McElroy, a veteran who served in the Navy for 20 years. He’s the father of two Scouts in Troop 91.

“I think it’s just a good way for them to remember and to keep in mind as they said during the opening ceremony here, freedom isn’t free and some people actually paid the ultimate price for our freedom,” McElroy said. “I think it’s good that the Scouts do this because it keeps that tradition of honoring those who have fallen alive for our country.”

A mother of two Troop 91 Scouts, Luly Birckelbaw accompanied the troop.

“I have two kids, Michael and Eric,” she said. “I have an Eagle Scout and one who is already a Star. We have come to this every year. I love doing this event.”

“This is a great event,” said 18-year-old Hugh Boebert, who attends Arundel Christian School. He’s the son of Scoutmaster Boebert. “We get to honor our veterans. We plant flags on the graves. I’ve been doing this ever since I was a Cub Scout, so since about the first grade.”

He looked around to survey the space around him.

“We have more people here this year than I think we’ve ever had in previous years, which means we’ve gotten done quicker,” Hugh Boebert said.

“It’s the same every year,” Scoutmaster Boebert said after the Scouts finished placing flags in the area assigned to them. “It’s just overwhelming to see the cemetery with nothing and then when we leave, it’s with all the flags. It’s just very moving, so I’m just glad to be a part of it.”

She thinks it’s beneficial for the Scouts “to reflect on veterans and what their purpose and role are. Without them, we wouldn’t be where we are today as far as our country being safe and the way it is. I think it’s very important, and any time we get the opportunity to give back service, regardless of what it is, it’s important.

"It gives the kids something to live by, to understand. It’s gratifying to be able to pay back for what the veterans have done for our country.”