Expected to begin at 2 p.m. near the park's Avenue of Flags — which will feature more than 100 full-size American flags — Trinity Memorial Park Facility Manager Phillip Welch said the ceremony should serve as a heartfelt thanks to the men and women that made the ultimate sacrifice for the United States.

“This year's ceremony is going to be very simple and basic, a lot like it was last year,” said Welch. “There won't be any speakers or anything like that, just the simple wreath laying ceremony.”

Preparations for the ceremony began Saturday, according to Welch, as local Boy Scouts took time to show their appreciation in a very special way.

“Each year before the ceremony, the Boy Scouts from the Buffalo Trail Council come out and place miniature American flags on the graves of the veterans buried here,” said Welch. “It’s a very emotional thing to see. The flags will remain on the graves until Tuesday.

“In honor of Howard County veterans, there will also be more than 100 full-size American flags flying at the park's Avenue of Flags, which is sponsored each year by the veterans' families. When this ceremony first started out, we didn't have anywhere near 100 flags, but over the years it's grown and grown. It's really something beautiful to see.”

Welch said the wreath being laid at the park’s main flagpole during the ceremony represents a number of local veterans organizations.

“The wreath is divided up into portions, and each portion is devoted to a different veterans organization,” said Welch. “I'm not sure which organizations will be there to take part in the ceremony, but it's always a very moving thing to watch.”

Trinity Memorial Park is located on S. Highway 87, approximately five miles south of Big Spring.

Contact Staff Writer Thomas Jenkins at 263-7331 ext. 232 or by e-mail at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it