U.S. Navy Petty Officers Floyd Beamer, left, and Larissa Jackson were among the volunteers at Missouri Veterans Cemetery on May 23, 2024, the Thursday before Memorial Day. The two work as Navy recruiters in Springfield. (Photo by Jym Wilson)
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The Thursday before Memorial Day was a busy day in a place of peace for about 14,000 U.S. servicemembers and their spouses.
Volunteers placed flags in front of headstones and at the base of the columbarium in preparation for Memorial Day Weekend at Missouri Veterans Cemetery in Springfield.
The Missouri Veterans Cemetery is situated south of the James River at 5201 S. Southwood Rd. It is administered through the Missouri Department of Public Safety Veterans Commission. On most days, the cemetery is open from sunrise to sunset.
Terrie Roetto of Lebanon, Missouri, placed flowers and a flag at her parents,’ Leonard and Winifred Daugherty, joint grave. Her father served as a gunner’s mate in the U.S. Navy during World War II. (Photo by Jym Wilson)U.S. Army veteran Robert Willis of Springfield carries an armload of American flags to be placed on some of the 14,000 graves at Missouri Veterans Cemetery in Springfield. Willis was volunteering with the Warriors Watch Riders veterans group on May 23, 2024, the Thursday before Memorial Day. (Photo by Jym Wilson)Pam Boyd of Springfield paused at every headstone she placed a flag in front of and recited the veteran’s name and the words, “Thank you for your service and your sacrifice.” Boyd was volunteering at the Missouri Veterans Cemetery in Springfield on the Thursday before Memorial Day 2024. (Photo by Jym Wilson)Lynn Dukes of Halfway and his mother, Viola Dukes, of Springfield, visit the grave of his father/her husband, U.S. Army veteran Bobby Dale Dukes. “Someday my name will be here,” Viola said gesturing at the marker. (Photo by Jym Wilson)Five-year-old Harley Bunch, and her twin brother Hudson, (not pictured), of Ozark, placed flags at base of one of the columbariums at Missouri Veterans Cemetery. (Photo by Jym Wilson)Cindy Rice runs her left hand along the top of her late husband’s headstone. Donald Rice was a veteran of the U.S. Air Force and is buried at Missouri Veterans Cemetery in Springfield. (Photo by Jym Wilson)Kailey Hull and her grandfather, Mike Gulick, both of Miller, volunteered to place flags at Missouri Veterans Cemetery in Springfield on the Thursday before Memorial Day. Hull just graduated from Miller High School, where she was a member of the school’s Military Honor Committee and plans on staying on as a sponsor. (Photo by Jym Wilson)
Lisa Brady kisses the headstone of her husband, Donald, a veteran of the US Army who died in February of 2024. He is buried at Missouri Veterans Cemetery in Springfield. (Photo by Jym Wilson)
Keilyn, left, and SSgt. (Ret.) Irene Sanchez visit the grave of their son, Keilyn Sanchez III, at Missouri Veterans Cemetery in Springfield to place a flag and flowers prior to Memorial Day. Family members and other volunteers gathered Thursday morning, May 23, to ready the cemetery for the holiday. (Photo by Jym Wilson)
Jym Wilson is a veteran photojournalist who has covered a multitude of topics throughout his career. He’s a Vermont native who began his career at the Burlington (VT) Free Press. He worked as a photo editor at USA Today for 18 years, specializing in entertainment coverage. His work has appeared in the Springfield Daily Citizen since the day of its launch in 2022.
Email: jymwil@gmail.com More by Jym Wilson
