
2024 Memorial Day
Scroll down to look back at our 2020 and 2021 events.
May 25, 2024 – Flag Planting – The Saturday before Memorial Day
June 1, 2024 – Flag Retrieval 8am-2pm – The Saturday after Memorial Day. You do not need to pre register.
Flag Planting: Saturday of Memorial Day Weekend
Timeline of Saturday May 25th Flag Placement:
7:15am – Check-in (green box on Driving and Parking Map)
8:00am – Opening Ceremony
8:20am (approx.)- Go to assigned area then grab flags in that area for placement.
11:30am approximate end time
Registration Tip: Please note that the registration says “individual” but it will ask for a head count for your unit as well as other unit-specific information.
Flag Pick-up: the Saturday following Memorial Day
No need to register.
8am – 2 pm
Service Hours
Log your service hours here.
VETERANS
Want to get involved? Please contact Tom Kenney at thomas.kenney@scouting.org
History
For over 70 years, Scouts around the country have been helping to honor our country’s fallen. It all began in 1949 when Scouts in the Greater St. Louis Council decorated the 190,000 graves at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery with miniature US flags. Since then, it has become one of the largest service projects in the country.
Locally, the Golden Gate National Cemetery was first opened in 1941 and is one of 131 National cemeteries in 39 states. It is the final resting place of 15 Medal of Honor recipients, Congressman Leo Ryan, and Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, commander of the US Pacific Fleet during World War II. Each year, Scouts, Scouters, veterans and other community groups from all over the Bay Area gather in tribute to these gallant men and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice in defense of our country.
Looking back on our 2021 Memorial Day Remembrance
Due to concerns around COVID-19, for Memorial Day 2021 we didn’t have our annual in-person grave decoration event. In a number of different ways we honored those who gave their lives for our freedom as well as thanked those still serving. We worked with another non-profit organization called “A Million Thanks.” There were also other ideas on how to honor our fallen soldiers as a troop, pack, or family please click here (goes to goodhousekeeping.com).
A Million Thanks
We invite your Scouts and family members to write letters and messages of appreciation and support for our military, past and present. This May our Scout offices will be serving as drop-off locations for these letters, and we will see that our military – active, reserve, and veterans – receive these messages, whether they are serving at home, abroad, or recovering in hospitals.
Do’s and Don’ts
These letters can take a month or more to reach our troops so please do not make them specific to Memorial Day and instead make it a general thank you letter. We ask that you address the letters generically. Some examples of this may be ‘Dear Hero’ or ‘Dear Troops’. Please do not send us letters that are written to a specific individual. They send your letters to all U.S. Service Men and Women no matter their branch of service. Please note that A Million Thanks does NOT accept commercial, store-bought greeting cards with pre-printed messages inside. All purchased cards must be blank on the inside and the space should be filled with a handwritten message of support and appreciation.
Content
We encourage you to express your sincere appreciation and support in your messages of thanks. The letters received at A Million Thanks are sent to our U.S. Military personnel serving all around the world and many of them do not get mail from home! Include information about yourself. Tell about some of your hobbies. Talk about what you are pursuing in school or what your profession might be. Share about service members from your family. Most importantly, be sure to express your appreciation and send some love from home!
- Send multiple letters together in the same envelope or box, but please bundle the letters in stacks of no more than 50 with rubber bands to keep them together. Bundle the letters or cards in like sizes.
- Only include positive messages. Negative messages will be discarded.
- Be creative! Talk about yourself and maybe draw a picture too! Tell them their service does not go unnoticed. (If you are having little ones color or draw as part of a pack or den meeting, an adult should write a message of thanks and support on the picture as well. All letters sent must have written content).
- Feel free to include your address or email address on each letter you write. Some military will write back to you!
- Our troops need to be encouraged. Be kind and use encouraging words to support them!
- If you are sending multiple letters DO NOT put letters in individual envelopes. Bundle them up and put them in one box or large envelope to mail to us.
- Do not send edible items or other care package items.
- Do not use glitter, confetti, or anything that is not securely attached to the letter or card.
- After completing your letter(s), mail the or bring them to one of our Scout offices (Palo Alto and Foster City Locations) and we will mail them to “A Million Thanks” who will get them out to military personnel.
Looking back on our 2020 Virtual Memorial Day Remembrance
Because of the pandemic we were unable to do our duty as Scouts by planting flags at the Golden Gate National Cemetery, however, we still wanted to remember those that gave their lives for our Country.
Guest Speaker Videos
In 2020 we shared in a Virtual Remembrance. We had guest speaker videos on the Pacific Skyline Council Facebook page as well as posting those videos to this page over the course of Memorial Day weekend. See videos below.
#UniformsThankingUniforms selfies on social media
We are also encouraged all Scouts to post a photo of themselves saluting in Uniform to social media and tag it #UniformsThankingUniforms to show our Virtual Remembrance for those who gave up so much. Be sure to tag the council in your posts as well! Instagram @PacSkyBSA, Facebook @PacificSkylineCouncil.
Scout Salute to Fallen Heroes
We are called on Scouts across the country to build on the tradition of honoring our nation’s fallen heroes on Memorial Day by posting public tributes to our veterans and by participating in the National Moment of Remembrance with a special Scout salute. Read more about the special Tribute and Salute.
Monday’s Memorial Day Remembrance speaker: Lt. Col. Todd Morgan, Pilot 146th Airlift Wing, California Air National Guard
Sunday’s Memorial Day Remembrance speaker: Lt. Col. Jeremy Guenet, 129th Rescue Wing Mission
Saturday’s Memorial Day Remembrance speaker: Rico Medina, Mayor of San Bruno
2020 Golden Gate National Cemetery Memorial Day Tribute
Friday’s Memorial Day Remembrance speaker: Brian Curtis, CEO, Pacific Skyline Council