While placing flags on veterans' graves, Bob Zook paused to discuss his own family's service to this country. Bob served from 1965 to 1968 with the Marines, and his son Jon served four years in Alaska with the Air Force before being deployed to Afghanistan, where he was assigned to remove weapons from a plane that overran the runway into an area laden with landmines.

On May 25, Bob and his wife, Barb, along with Jon, Jon's wife, Michele, and Jon and Michele's two children - Gavin, age 17, and Joelle, age 16 - gathered with Nancy George and Bob Ranck at the Bareville Cemetery, Brethren Church Road in Leola, to decorate 40 graves prior to Memorial Day. Barb reported that Gavin and Joelle have been helping with the flag placement since they were small children.

The group represents members of the board of trustees of the Upper Leacock Township War Memorial Association (ULTWMA). Bob Zook is president of ULTWMA. The vice president is Tim Chopp, and George serves as secretary. Board members include Donna Chopp, Connie Gross, Harold Hoover, Lin Pickel, Ranck, Gene and Janet Rodgers, and Jean Summers.

Pickel orders flags to decorate the veterans' graves in Conestoga Valley-area cemeteries. She picked up more than 400 for distribution at the Lancaster County Public Safety Training Center and delivered them to board members, who then placed them at six area cemeteries. In addition to Bareville, flags are placed at the Salem Hellers Evangelical Reformed Church, Zion Lutheran Church cemetery, and Trumbauer Memorial Cemetery, where members of local Boy and Girl Scout troops help out. Flags are also used to mark veterans' graves at Eby's Cemetery at Monterey Chapel and the cemetery at Stumptown Mennonite Church.

ULTWMA is a nonprofit, volunteer organization located at 54 W. Main St., Leola. ULTWMA organizes and hosts community events that honor the military service of all local residents. On May 25, the organization gave out four $1,000 scholarships to Conestoga Valley High School seniors who are children of veterans. This year, all four seniors were children of Army veterans. The 2023 recipients were Victoria Rhoads, daughter of Matt Rhoads; Trey Miller, son of Timothy Miller, Sr.; Gwen Wilde, daughter of Shane Wilde; and Lily Ennis, daughter of Sylvia Weber.

Readers who would like to learn more about the organization may visit http://www.facebook.com/ULTWMA.