MILFORD – For Memorial Day, to honor of United States veterans, longtime Milford resident Jay Duffy has organized a grassroots community event and will be placing American flags on veterans graves at Riverside Cemetery, 460 Nashua St., on Saturday at 8:45 a.m.

Duffy has already single-handedly placed flags at Milford’s other four cemeteries. A few years back, he realized that flags were no longer being place on markers for military heroes at the area cemeteries, so he decided to take on the task himself.

“A few years back, I decided that this needed to be reinstituted,” he said. “It hadn’t been done consistently since I was a child. Many of them that we’ll be honoring on Saturday taught me years ago. Of course, since the WWII ‘greatest generation’ has passed away, it hasn’t been perpetuated. That’s why boy scouts and children are encouraged to attend the event.”

Last summer, Duffy did all five cemeteries by himself due to COVID. He estimated that 1,000 flags will be placed at the gravesites of military veterans throughout Milford this year, courtesy of the town who provided the funds for the purchase.

This weekend’s event will be the culmination of Duffy’s efforts, and hopefully, along with other Milford residents, to honor the veterans of past wars.

“The town pays for flags under a warrant article, and the VFW, under the leadership of Commander Wayne Mosier, purchased 1,100 metal flag holders with ‘U.S. Veteran’ engraved on each one,” he said, “for every veteran in all five cemeteries. I’m very grateful. And we have extras for the future.”

Like many cemeteries in and around New Hampshire, there are typically regulations which designate how long a flag on a grave can remain there after the holiday because of grass mowing.

“The DPW was less than enthusiastic about leaving the flags out,” Duffy said. “Originally, they wanted me to just place the flags the week of Memorial Day and the week of Veteran’s Day. The flags were to be removed a week after both holidays. But I worked on having the town put an amendment on the warrant article so the flags can remain all summer long – in fact, they can remain until Veteran’s Day in November.”

The flags must be removed a week after Veteran’s Day.

“I place the flags high and tight against the stones,” Duffy clarified. “There are less than 50 flat stones in all five cemeteries. I worked for the town during summers in college 25 years ago and this was never an issue. But again the WWII generation was still alive then.”

Duffy said, “this defines who we are as a people, this defines who we are as a town.”

“I’m hoping for a good turnout,” he said. “These are the values that I was taught growing up in Milford, by many of the men that we’re going to be honoring on Saturday.”

Duffy concluded by adding, “Milford forever.”