Families, friends honor fallen service members at Black Hills National Cemetery

Gone but not forgotten: dozens of people decorated tombstones at Black Hills National Cemetery Saturday.
Published: May. 26, 2024 at 11:31 PM EDT

RAPID CITY, S.D. (KEVN) - Hundreds of flowers placed on tombstones at Black Hills National Cemetary colored the hilltop above I-90 Saturday in advance of Memorial Day.

Family members and friends of fallen soldiers and veterans had come to the site outside of Sturgis, each on their own accord.

According to a member of the cemetery’s administration, this was not an organized event. The official event was planned for Sunday, where volunteers would place a small American Flag on each of the cemetery’s 29,000+ headstones.

Though some visitors appeared to know one another, this was largely unorganized. One visitor was heard saying she was glad to see so many others honoring lost loved ones.

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