Trench Rats seek donations for veterans cemetery flag fund

With another Memorial Day over and thousands of U.S. flags placed on graves at the Southern Nevada Veterans Memorial Cemetery, the veterans behind the annual event are seeking donations for their flag fund.

The National Order of Trench Rats, an auxiliary organization of the Disabled American Veterans, is the primary group that has provided flags at the veterans cemetery in Boulder City since 1990.

Recently, some money for flags has been provided by the Nevada Office of Veterans Services from funds generated from veterans buying special license plates.

But the demand for flags has increased “due to the increase of the number of graves and many hundreds of flags that are weathered and beyond repair,” according to the nonprofit National Order of Trench Rats local group, Dugout 421.

“We also had to provide our own storage container which we did several years ago at a cost of approximately $3,000. This container is just about at capacity and we now need to shop for another container as well as additional flags,” a statement from local Trench Rats said.

Groups and individuals can donate to the Grave Flag Fund by making checks payable to NOTR Dugout 421 and mailing them to Southern Nevada Veterans Memorial Cemetery, 1900 Veterans Memorial Drive, Boulder City, NV 89005.

Contact reporter Keith Rogers at krogers@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0308.