McCleary VFW Post 5564 participates in VFW Day of Service

Published 1:30 am Tuesday, May 12, 2026

Among those buried in the city of McCleary cemetery are 250 veterans and VFW auxiliary members. For their Day of Service that was held on Saturday, May 9, McCleary VFW Post 5564 members, along with VFW auxiliary and community members, spent the morning cleaning many of these 250 headstones.

The VFW’s Still Serving campaign, of which the Day of Service is a part of, highlights how veterans continue to serve their communities; now in its fifth year, the Day of Service is a nationwide monthlong event.

McCleary VFW Post 5564 chose to work in the cemetery because over the decades, the grass had grown over the headstones, hiding the actual size of the headstone, which has made placing the flags for Memorial Day difficult. A combination of digging out the grass and edging along the headstone revealed its actual size. And a scrub with soapy water and a rinse removed the dirt that had also accumulated over the years.

As they worked, Holly Pierce, quartermaster/adjutant of McCleary VFW Post 5564 was also taking note of which veterans may need a new slab “because we got to take care of them,” she said.

Next year, Post 5564 will tackle the remaining headstones that weren’t cleaned this year. And on May 19, American flags will be placed at each of the headstones in anticipation of Memorial Day.