By Natalie De La Garza
Staff Writer
CARIBOU — A flagpole currently located on Bennett Drive will be moving to a new location at the Grimes Mill Cemetery, where it will fly the stars and stripes in honor of the veterans permanently resting at the site.
The idea started about two months ago over a cup of coffee, and “It’s sort of mushroomed, actually,” explained Kenneth Doody of Caribou. He and Dana Doody of Woodland found that the idea, which came up in casual conversation, gained momentum quite quickly.
Now, a small group aims to have a new flagpole up tentatively as early as Thursday night, thanks to volunteer efforts and the gumption of about 25 folks.
Kenneth described the diverse range of veterans buried at the cemetery, including those who fought to keep the nation together during the Civil War. The veterans do have flag-holders that adorn their graves but Kenneth, an Army veteran himself, found that others shared in his and Dana’s idea that the final resting place of those brave soldiers deserved more.
“We just feel that these veterans who are buried down there deserve some recognition — they died for this country,” he said. Every Memorial Day, Kenneth places flags on their graves but explained that he and the others who’ve picked up this cause wanted a permanent flag at the cemetery.
Rising to the nobility of the veterans they’re honoring, none of the individuals involved with raising the flag pole seek to profit from the venture.
“We found the pole, we found the guy who’s going to put it in the ground for us, and nobody wants to make any money out of this — everything is being volunteered,” Kenneth explained.
The flag pole itself is being donated by owner of 159 Bennett Drive David Felch, transferred from its current location across from Burger King to the more serene location at the cemetery.
On Tuesday morning, Kenneth explained that he and David Donovan were planning to head down to the cemetery to dig the hole for the flag pole to be placed; Lee Merchant of Merchant Signs will be moving the pole from one location to the other and Dana Doody will be pouring the cement to keep Old Glory flying straight and solid for years to come.
“The main thing right now is to get the hole dug and to get the pole down there,” Kenneth said.
