POST FALLS — It was a family affair as American Heritage Girls Miriam and Bridget Kazda took their younger sister, Gianna, to place American flags at the gravestones at Evergreen Cemetery ahead of Memorial Day. 

At WWII veteran Donald R. Whaley’s grave, the girls took a moment to salute the veteran for his U.S. Marine Corps service before moving on to place the next flag. 

Post 143 Commander Tim Shaw said about 660 flags were placed Friday morning in a solemn hunt to find the veteran markers among the graves.   

"This area is unique. This is a very patriotic populace here and they’re teaching their kids that," Shaw said.

Shaw said the kids' reverence moved him after he saw them learn etiquette for paying their respects. 

“It makes your heart proud,” Shaw said. “None of this is free, it comes with a price and this is the price. These are all veterans.” 

When Shaw went on a trip to Normandy, he made time to visit the graves of the fallen. 

“I was going down the lane and saying their names out loud because everyone they ever knew was dead and nobody said their names anymore,” Shaw said. 

Walking by a grave for a 22-year-old woman who died and with her picture commemorating her life, he experienced an epiphany. 

“I was struck by how fragile this all is,” Shaw said. “Since we started an army in the colonial war, we’ve lost 600,000 of our soldiers in battles in foreign lands.” 

Katie Jennings said the American Heritage troop she runs has been placing flags in Post Falls with the American Legion for five years now. 

“Our Trail Life troop is also at Real Life Ministries and they also do it with us every year,” Jennings said. “We come every year and just try to teach the kids to respect our veterans and teach them what Memorial Day’s about.” 

Wearing a red shirt to honor deployed troops, Dan Sweet said he transferred his legion membership after he moved to Post Falls. 

It's the second year he’s placed flags as part of Post 143, and he said they were fancier than what he was used to. 

"When I lived in Minnesota, we did small flags and put them on all of the veteran tombstones,” Sweet said. 

Sweet considered the act a good learning experience for the kids present, so they learn about patriotism from local veterans.  

"I was just talking to a little boy and he was pretty excited about putting a flag out,” Sweet said.

The following Memorial Day ceremonies and events are scheduled through the holiday weekend.

• VFW Post 889 flag placing | 9 a.m., May 23, Forest Cemetery, 1011 N. Government Way.

Honor veterans from this community by placing small flags on their resting places. Participants will meet in the center of the cemetery, where they’ll receive a map with the locations of known veterans and small flags to place on the graves. All ages are welcome. No pets.

• Coeur d’Alene Memorial Day ceremony | 9 a.m., May 25, McEuen Park Veterans Memorial Plaza, 420 E. Front Ave.

Gather with community members to honor those who gave their lives for this country.

• Memorial Day ceremony and celebration | 11 a.m., May 25, Coeur d’Alene Memorial Gardens, 7315 N. Government Way

Honoring those who made the ultimate sacrifice while serving their country and those veterans laid to rest in the past year, this ceremony will include a prayer by Chaplain Darla Fletcher and a guest speaker, Retired U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Col. Roger Rudd. Wreath-laying, music, color guard, firing detail, taps and free food and beverages will follow the ceremony.

•  Post Falls Memorial Day ceremony | 11 a.m., May 25, Evergreen Cemetery, 2834 N. Spokane St.

Join the City of Post Falls and American Legion Post 143 for a ceremony honoring those who gave their lives in service to this country. Community members are encouraged to attend and pause to reflect, remember and pay tribute to those who made the ultimate sacrifice for the nation.

• Rathdrum Memorial Day ceremony | Noon, May 25, Pinegrove Cemetery, 6693 Highway 53

Community members will pause to remember those who gave their lives while serving in the armed forces.

• Hayden Memorial Day ceremonies | 9:30 a.m., May 25, Honeysuckle Beach and 11 a.m., McIntire Family Park, 8930 N. Government Way

The city of Hayden Veterans Commission will present a wreath-laying ceremony at Honeysuckle Beach, followed by a ceremony at McIntire Family Park, on the stage behind Hayden City Hall.

• Shoshone County Memorial Day cemetery visits | 8:45 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., May 25, various Silver Valley locations

8:45 a.m., depart Osburn VFW Hall, 318 E. Mullan Avenue

9 a.m., Gene Day Cemetery, Osburn

9:30 a.m., Silverton of Cascadia Nursing Home

10 a.m., Mullan Cemetery

10:30 a.m., Nine Mile Cemetery, Wallace

11:30 a.m., Murray Cemetery

1 p.m. a.m., Hunt/Bisaro Cemetery, Kingston

1:30 p.m., Pinehurst Cemetery

2 p.m., Greenwood Cemetery, Kellogg

2:30 p.m., end at Osburn VFW Hall

    American Heritage Girl Eleanor Rische plants a flag taller than her by a veteran's grave on Friday ahead.
  

    A Trail Life scout places a flag in place by a veteran's grave in Evergreen Cemetery in Post Falls for Veterans Day.
  

A Trail Life scout places a flag in place by a veteran's grave in Evergreen Cemetery in Post Falls for Veterans Day. Pictured far left: Cooper Phenicie.

    Trail Life Scout Carter unfurls an American flag to place it by a veteran's grave on Friday at Evergreen Cemetery in Post Falls.
  

    A man carries more flags to pass among volunteers as part of a tribute to veterans over Memorial Day weekend. American Legion Post 143 Post Falls and volunteers from the community came out to show their support Friday at Evergreen Cemetery in Post Falls.