Waukesha Memorial Day March Saved by Volunteer Surge

When Waukesha's VFW Post 721 worried they wouldn't have enough help for their inaugural Memorial Day march, the community had a simple response: We've got your back.

After local news shared the veterans' concerns last week, phones started ringing off the hook. Volunteers stepped forward in droves, ensuring the march would go on as planned. "We have great news to share," said Paul Zinck, the post commander, his relief evident. "That is going to happen!"

The march replaces the traditional Memorial Day parade that the VFW stopped holding two years ago. This year was meant to mark a fresh start, a chance to honor fallen service members in a new way. But pulling it off required more hands than the aging veteran group had on their own.

Before the march could even begin, there was work to do at Prairie Home Cemetery. More than 30 volunteers gathered on a spring morning to place thousands of American flags at veterans' graves. The group included current and former special education students, brought by their teacher Susan Blohm, who has made this an annual tradition.

"It's cool to just put another flag in the ground and say thank you for your service," said Jack Daily, the post's junior vice commander. The flags mark the resting places of veterans from every American conflict. One volunteer even spotted a grave from the War of 1812.

Blohm explained why she keeps bringing students back year after year. The veterans simply can't visit all 2,000 graves themselves anymore. The physical toll is too much. But the students give them a gift beyond labor. They learn history, practice gratitude, and connect with something bigger than themselves.

The Ripple Effect

What started as a crisis became a testament to community bonds. When veterans who spent their lives serving their country needed help, their neighbors didn't hesitate. Phone calls turned into commitments. Commitments turned into action. And action transformed uncertainty into celebration.

Daily captured what it means to see people rally around those who served. "To have the community come together for veterans, there's nothing like it," he said. "It's a feeling like no other."

The march kicks off at 10 a.m. on Main Street this Monday. Organizers are inviting everyone to bring photos of deceased service members they loved and carry them during the walk. The flags at Prairie Home Cemetery will remain standing through Veterans Day in November, a visible reminder that some debts can never be fully repaid, only honored.

Sometimes the best way to thank someone for their service is simply to show up when they ask for help.