Disappearing cemetery veteran flag holders remain a problem in Luzerne County, officials said.

The county switched from bronze to aluminum holders approximately a decade ago to save money and deter thieves from stealing them to cash in on the scrap value.

However, county Councilman Stephen A. Urban said at last week’s council meeting that he was recently contacted by someone who discovered holders were missing from the graves of two relatives. Councilwoman Jane Walsh Waitkus also said she bought her own replacement flag holder for a relative, and it was stolen.

County Veteran Affairs Director James Spagnola, who was not at the meeting, said he does not believe the missing holders stem from thieves attempting to sell them because scrap yards have been refusing to accept them and reporting thefts to authorities.

Instead, Spagnola suspects the holders often are dislodged during maintenance at some cemeteries or removed by cemetery visitors who want one for their own family member’s grave.

Councilman Rick Williams suggested the administration explore options to better anchor the holders or purchase a less costly version if continued replacements are necessary.

“There’s a fundamental issue here. If they just evaporate, maybe we should think a little bit about it,” Williams said.

Urban also expressed frustration the county veteran affairs office did not supply replacement holders to the person who contacted him.

Spagnola said the county has long-standing protocol for issuing replacements.

Instead of keeping extra holders, the county has historically supplied them to local veteran organizations that voluntarily place the flags on graves for Memorial Day, Spagnola said. Family members seeking replacements are directed to these organizations, he said.

“If these volunteers notice a missing flag holder when they’re decorating a grave, they will replace it. If they run out of flag holders, they stick the flags directly into the ground like they do at national cemeteries, including the Arlington National Cemetery,” Spagnola said.

Relying on American Legions, VFWs and other posts to process replacement requests makes sense because the organizations are familiar with graves at their local cemeteries, he said.

“That’s control. If you just have a policy where anyone can come in off the street to obtain a replacement, we don’t have the staff to verify a holder is missing,” Spagnola said.

Each flag holder costs about $7, and the county averages approximately 1,500 veteran burials per year, Spagnola said.

The county issues new flag holders through funeral directors, and Spagnola advises families to keep the holders when they are not being used to display flags to reduce the possibility they will be lost or stolen.

Spagnola said his $60,000 budget allocation also must cover the purchase of 83,000 flags to decorate veteran graves and around 1,000 replacement flag holders.

The county is not required by law to supply holders, but Spagnola said he supports the tradition.

Additional taxpayer funds would be needed if council members want to ensure all requests for new holders are satisfied, Spagnola said.

“I’m a veteran. I’d be absolutely thrilled if county council would give me enough funds to replace every flag holder missing every year. Unfortunately, I have to work within my budget constraints,” Spagnola said..

In addition to flags and holders, the county provides $100 to veterans to help defray burial costs and covers the $10 cost to deliver federally-funded veteran headstones to cemeteries, he said.

AMVETS Post 189 Commander Bernie McDonald places a flag on a grave at Sacret Heart of Jesus Cemetery in Duopont. BILL TARUTIS/FOR THE SUNDAY DISPATCH
https://www.mydallaspost.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/web1_Cemetery-Flags_5_2012-cmyk.jpg.optimal.jpgAMVETS Post 189 Commander Bernie McDonald places a flag on a grave at Sacret Heart of Jesus Cemetery in Duopont. BILL TARUTIS/FOR THE SUNDAY DISPATCHBill Tarutis | For Times Leader

Spagnola
https://www.mydallaspost.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/web1_Spagnola-cmyk.jpg.optimal.jpgSpagnola Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader

Edward Zielinski, quartermaster of the Dupont VFW 4909, places a flag at a veterans grave in Sacred Heart of Jesus Cemetery in Dupont on Memorial Day weekend in 2009. Officials say flag holders disappearing from veterans’ graves remains a problem in Luzerne County.
https://www.mydallaspost.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/web1_flag_horizontal_2009-cmyk.jpg.optimal.jpgEdward Zielinski, quartermaster of the Dupont VFW 4909, places a flag at a veterans grave in Sacred Heart of Jesus Cemetery in Dupont on Memorial Day weekend in 2009. Officials say flag holders disappearing from veterans’ graves remains a problem in Luzerne County. AImee Dilger | Times Leader file photo

By Jennifer Learn-Andes

jandes@timesleader.com

Reach Jennifer Learn-Andes at 570-991-6388 or on Twitter @TLJenLearnAndes.