Minnesota nonprofit replacing destroyed flags at Fort Snelling National Cemetery
MINNEAPOLIS – Last Memorial Day, wet weather destroyed thousands of flags at Fort Snelling National Cemetery.
Now, a nonprofit group is trying to replace them, with their work essentially beginning Monday.
"He was an army veteran. Served in Vietnam," Joanne Malmstedt said.
Several times a year, Malmstedt makes a trip to Fort Snelling National Cemetery to visit the gravesite of her dad Steve, a Vietnam veteran.
"When he came home that was kind of the extent of it. Never received, like many other vets, never received the warm welcome as many others did," Malmstedt said.
Because of that, and because she wanted to teach her kids about Memorial Day, Joanne founded the nonprofit group Flags for Fort Snelling. They've been displaying American flags at gravesites for a decade and they've grown quickly – from 3,700 flags in their first year to nearly 200,000 in 2024.
"Every year it grows. We are looking at about 5,000 every year is the average growth for new burials," Malmstedt said.
Last Memorial Day weekend, rain put a damper on the yearly tribute. The flags didn't have time to dry out and became moldy.
In all, the group said 50,000 flags were destroyed last Memorial Day. That's a lot to replace and the group is asking for the public's help to make it happen.
The nonprofit runs on donations and they are trying to raise $50,000 in time to place a new order before May. Each flag costs about $1. Timing is everything and Joanne says the small flags have a big impact on families.
"I would never want to put a moldy flag out to honor and remember somebody," Malmstedt said. "The importance of still being able to remember and honor those that have made the ultimate sacrifice essentially, that's not lost."
Flags for Fort Snelling has about 3,000 volunteers. It takes them about seven hours to display American flags at the cemetery.
Anyone interested in helping out can visit the nonprofit's website.
