Eleven local veterans’ organizations have received grants to purchase American flags to memorialize veterans’ graves. The grants, made possible by a partnership of Martin’s Super Markets and PepsiCo, will be used by the organizations to purchase grave holders and flags to mark the final resting place of service veterans currently without appropriate marking.

Groups receiving flag grants include St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners Veterans Service Office; Mishawaka American Legion Post 360; Elkhart County Veterans’ Service Office Memorial Fund (grants to Nappanee, Goshen and Elkhart); Logansport American Legion Post 60; Niles Friends of Silverbrook Cemetery; St. Joseph Riverview Cemetery; Plymouth VFW Memorial Day Parade Fund; Stevensville American Legion Post 568; and Warsaw American Legion Post 49.

Representatives of the veterans’ organizations have, in some cases, been unable to fund the purchase of memorial flags for the growing number of American service veterans who die each year.  It’s expected that hundreds of these much-deserved flags will be purchased and installed before Memorial Day as a result of these grants.

“This is the first step in our year-long efforts as a company to identify and address some of the many needs of our local veterans and their support groups,” said Dave Mayfield, Martin’s advertising manager. “With the help of our vendors, customers and our employees, we plan to continue our efforts to help local veterans and their families. This flag program is part of an ongoing effort to identify and assist where help is needed most.”