With Memorial Day drawing near, it’s important to pause and pay tribute to the courageous individuals who have made profound sacrifices for our nation. Among the many ways to express our gratitude and reverence is by adorning their resting places with beautiful flowers. This touching story shares a time when sending flowers not only helped honor a veteran’s memory from afar, but also impacted the lives of those who thoughtfully delivered the flowers.
Last year, Carmen Stallings was on active duty at a location far away from where her late veteran father, Eladio Jusino was laid to rest. She had learned about our partner, BloomBridge, and connected with the company to send flowers to her late father’s resting place.
BloomBridge runners ensure the seamless delivery of flowers to their designated gravesites. Veronica Arquette, a veteran herself, serves as a dedicated runner for BloomBridge. When Veronica learned that this set of flowers was going to a veteran’s resting place, she excitedly reached out to her father, Marty Arquette, a Vietnam veteran, to see if he wanted to accompany her to place the flowers and pay his respects.
Her father is still dealing with the side effects of Agent Orange which he acquired during his time in the U.S. Navy. He served from 1959–1968, during which time he saw the world and was also part of the Vietnam War Campaign. Veronica said, “It must be in our family’s DNA because my nephew served in the Navy, my cousin was in the Air Force, my uncle was in the Marines, and I myself am a U.S. Army veteran, serving 11 years active duty.”
He held the flowers as she drove and she could tell his emotions were high, as were hers. Veronica said, “The biggest part of it was making sure everything was okay and looked good, so that the family of this loved one can look at the pictures taken and feel at ease that everything is in its place.”
Once they arrived, she placed the flowers on the grave. Veronica’s father watched from the vehicle because his legs couldn’t carry him to the specific grave. She put a new American flag in the ground and brushed off debris from the headstone. She knelt down and prayed and said thank you and assured him that neither his family nor his fellow veterans have forgotten him.
This happened to be Veronica’s first flower delivery. She was honored to do it and felt it was meant to be. “This gives you an option to keep a connection you may not be able to anymore. Life has changed so much, and many families do not live where they started out. They may have loved ones still buried in their hometowns and cannot make it back as often as they wish. Having this option now gives families that connection again, to show their love but to also feel at ease knowing the stranger on the other end taking the arrangements cares just as much and will make sure everything is done correctly.”
Veronica hopes that one day, when her father is buried at the Grand Rapids Veterans Cemetery and she can’t make it there as often as she’d like, someone else will be able to do what she can’t do at that moment: bring love and peace to her father.
I honor my grandfather Leonard John Lunsford, who served in the army during WWI. He fought in 2 of the major battles, according to his Honorable Discharge paper. He was wounded and gassed but did not get a metal. He was buried in the wrong cemetery in or near Eufaula, Alabama, due to an error in the name of the cemetery.
You really have to have consideration and affection for these people who are gone and always try to remember them
Problem: Find a Grave professes to connect with Veterans however many non-family Memorial managers refuse to include a veteran’s military/naval rank in the memorial prefix spot provided.
Solution: Provide directions to include rank for veterans, even though they did not die in the service. PTV (private) is a common rank the Memorial managers refuse to include. “Privates lose lives and Generals lose Countries.” Privates and Seamen service should be honored by adding their rank to the Memorial.
In reality, The use of military titles as part of the name is reserved for retired military. Veterans, having served, do not use it there. It can be in the bio.
All the military services have “official” abbreviations for rank, i.e. “CPT” or “Capt.” “PVT” or “Pvt.” – depending on the branch of service. As a retired Army Warrant office I follow military custom and tradition by including the rank ONLY if the veteran retired from the military service with that rank, or if the service member died on active duty. My father was 86 years old when he died and did so many more things in his life than just be a “T-5” in the U.S. Army in WWII. The veteran’s rank should appear on the veteran headstone, if not, it can be included in the text of the biography. The memorial can also be designated a “veteran” memorial with a “V” after the surname. I see no need to include the rank before any other name.
The Brave men and women who served their country and the many who gave their life we will be forever grateful to them and we will always reserve a special place in our hearts to thank them for their service and their bravery – where would we be today without them – ?
What you are doing to honor veterans is wonderful. My wife and I are elderly veterans, but I never had to go to war. I did take a lot of pride in serving on USAF Honor Guard funerals at several Air Force bases as a junior NCO and later as the officer in charge. Keep up your fine and memorable work. God bless you all.
My husband, Sgt. Willis Lanier Jolly served in the USA Army Air Force, flew 50 missions, was stationed in, Vanossa, Italy. (1924-2000) He served his country well! We are very proud to Honor all of our veterans, for sure!
My father served in WWII with Patton’s Third Army, 5th Field Artillery Group, Headquarters Battery. He fought in 5 major engagements and a lot of other nasty places. I honor him and the rest of his generation for stepping up to the plate when they were needed the most. This was the largest, most costly and deadliest war the world has ever seen. It left a lasting impression on those who served. Dad wouldn’t talk about it until he was a much older man. He passed away 20 years ago and is resting with his brothers in arms in the Florida National Cemetery at Bushnell. I was there the day he was buried and one more as it’s far away. I’m too old to make such a journey now but not a day goes by that he isn’t in my thoughts.
God bless ALL of those who served and those who made the Ultimate Sacrifice
Through my ancestry research, I connected with family out of state and I made a trip to visit them. That is when I learned I had a cousin who was killed in action in Iraq. I now have flowers laid at his grave every year. I found a company that was honored to deliver the flowers for me.
For any family that has had a loved one serve and never return,
God be with them and thank you for the ultimate sacrifice. This is also for the ones that have returned with injuries, later in life that have been plagued with diseases or the mental stress they deal with everyday God help them to deal with this. I had a wonderful dad that served in Germany in the Army and later in life developed Multiple Sclerosis. As we know, the cause of this disease is not definitively known so was it contacted when in the armed forces, who knows? My heart is with each and every family member that has lost a loved one, sends a loved one off to the service or has a loved one that has never returned and wondering what has happened to them. GOD BLESS OUR VETERANS AS THEY ARE THE ONES ON THE FRONT LINE TO GIVE US OUR FREEDOM AND THANK YOU FROM ME BECAUSE I DO NOT BELIEVE THEY HEAR THIS ENOUGH.
I honor all my ancestors and relatives who were KIA or died on active duty with the prefix of their rank in their Find A Grave memorial. Others who have served are marked with V and given a narrative and photographs of their service in the memorial description. I celebrate their memory and service on Veterans Day.