Oakridge Cemetery gets new flagpole

By CINDY THOMAS, Staff Writer

Thanks to several local veterans, a new flagpole has been installed at Oak Ridge Cemetery, just west of U.S. Hwy. 65 off Missouri Hwy. 176 in the Walnut Shade community north of Branson. A ceremony to honor the new flag was held Saturday morning, July 9.

A previous flagpole and its base, installed in 1996, had deteriorated over the years to the point of being unusable. A group of veterans from American Legion Post 220 of Branson-Hollister recently set to work to fix that situation. In spite of last week’s hot weather, several members gathered on Wednesday morning, July 6, to get the base ready for Saturday’s ceremony.

Oak Ridge Cemetery holds many veteran graves, some from as far back as the Civil War and Spanish American War and several from World War I and II, Korea and Vietnam. The Post 220 group has honored veterans buried throughout the Ozarks by providing flagpoles for other small cemeteries in the area, and plans to continue doing so as they become aware of needs. This is much appreciated by families, and particularly by descendants of the much-earlier veterans as those graves often have limited identification and no official government recognition.

Donations are welcomed to help finance these projects; for more information and to donate, contact Curtis Clark, Adjutant, American Legion Post 220, at 417-231-3040 or ccc041159@ yahoo.com.

Founded in 1919, the American Legion has a history of accomplishments for the good of Americans, encompassing not only honoring veterans but also projects such as disaster relief, youth programs, and general community betterment. Post 220 actively supports ROTC, Boy Scouts, the Branson Veterans’ Garden, and other community projects. Business meetings are held the second Monday of each month at 7 p.m. at Grandma’s Café. Interested individuals and friends are also welcome to drop by for coffee on Mondays, 9 a.m. at Faith Lutheran Church in Branson.