Normally on Veterans Day, volunteers flock to Riverside National Cemetery in California to place flags at more than 300,000 gravesites. Not this year.
According to The Associated Press, the longest federal government shutdown on record has forced cancellations and disruptions of parades, ceremonies, and other events across the U.S. intended to honor veterans.
Military families, already facing uncertainty over paychecks, are feeling the impact.
In California, organizers of “A Flag for Every Hero” said they could not proceed without access to restrooms, traffic control, and other essential resources for the thousands of participants.
“We have a responsibility to provide them the resources they need, and unfortunately with the shutdown we’re unable to do that,” said Laura Herzog, founder and CEO of Honoring Our Fallen.
Some major events, like the observances at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia and the New York Veterans Day Parade, are still taking place, but other communities are affected.
The Texas National Cemetery Foundation canceled its annual event in Dallas-Fort Worth, while Hampton, Virginia, cited concerns that a lack of active-duty personnel would leave its parade looking “sparse.”
“Our veterans deserve to be recognized with great pomp and circumstance,” Hampton City Manager Mary Bunting said.
Detroit’s parade is proceeding but without a U.S. Army band or helicopter flyover. In Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, the Wyoming Valley Veterans Day Parade will continue, but organizers are relying on veterans and civilian groups to fill in for military vehicles.
“We have no choice but to make lemonade out of these lemons,” said Susan Allen, a retired Navy lieutenant commander and parade committee chair.
Some communities are finding alternative ways to honor veterans. In Mississippi, the Gulf Coast Veterans Association canceled its Pass Christian parade but will use the funds to provide Thanksgiving dinners for veterans and active-duty members.
“While we share in the disappointment, we are choosing to turn this setback into a blessing,” the group said.
In San Antonio, U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales, a Navy veteran, stepped in to organize the Veterans Day ceremony at Fort Sam Houston Cemetery after the federal shutdown canceled the official event. “We honor our veterans no matter what, and that’s exactly what we did,” Gonzales said.
