National Cemetery Administration
Boy Scouts of America & NCA Join Together to Ensure Every Fallen Hero is Remembered on Memorial Day
May 19, 2020
Scouts nationwide to give special attention to those who have not yet received customary funeral honors due to the COVID-19 pandemic
IRVING, TX and WASHINGTON (May 19, 2020) - Scouts across the country will build on the tradition of honoring our nation's fallen heroes this Memorial Day by posting public tributes to our veterans in partnership with the National Cemetery Administration, an agency within the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
This effort will take place through the Veterans Legacy Memorial – a digital memorial that houses a profile for each of the 3.7 million veterans interred in one of more than 140 national cemeteries.
Among those fallen heroes are veterans who have passed away during the COVID-19 pandemic – at a time when customary services and funeral honors cannot safely be performed. The names of those veterans are listed on the Veterans Affairs Roll of Honor webpage, which is updated daily and includes their branch of service and location of burial.
"Our Scouts learn the importance of duty to country and of honoring the people who served it through the values outlined in the Scout Oath and Law," said Boy Scouts of America CEO Roger Mosby, a U.S. Navy veteran. "It is our privilege to work with the Department of Veterans Affairs to show our gratitude to fallen service members who otherwise may not receive the attention they deserve during this trying time for our country."
Scouts will also participate in the National Moment of Remembrance at 3:00 p.m. local time on Memorial Day, during which they will salute the American flag at their home in full Scouting uniform and say the name of a fallen service member as they would if placing a flag at the veteran's grave.
At 3:01 p.m., Scouting buglers and horn players nationwide will then perform "Taps," the melody traditionally played at U.S. military funerals. Leading up to Memorial Day, Scouts may also place flags at headstones, as individuals or with members of their family, where regulations allow.
"This collaboration between the Boy Scouts of America and the National Cemetery Administration represents a significant effort to honor and express gratitude to our nation's Veterans on this Memorial Day and every day," said Under Secretary for Memorial Affairs Randy Reeves.
Members of the public are encouraged to participate in this collective tribute for our fallen heroes by leaving a message for at least one veteran by Memorial Day on the Veterans Legacy Memorial webpage and by joining Scouts and the country in the National Moment of Remembrance.
About the Boy Scouts of America
The Boy Scouts of America provides the nation's foremost youth program of character development and values-based leadership training, which helps young people be "Prepared. For Life.®" The Scouting organization is composed of more than 2.1 million youth members between the ages of 5 and 21 and approximately 800,000 volunteers in local councils throughout the United States and its territories. For more information on the Boy Scouts of America, please visit www.Scouting.org.
About the National Cemetery Administration
VA operates 142 national cemeteries and 33 soldiers' lots and monument sites in 41 states and Puerto Rico. Nearly 5 million Americans, including Veterans of every war and conflict, are buried in VA's national cemeteries. For Veterans not buried in a VA national cemetery, VA provides headstones, markers or medallions to commemorate their service. Information on VA burial benefits is available from local VA national cemetery offices, online at www.va.gov/burials-memorials/or by calling VA regional offices toll-free at 800-827-1000.
