WA's Tahoma National Cemetery cancels flag placing event over government shutdown
Veterans Day at Evergreen Washelli Cemetery
The Tahoma School District canceled their Veterans Day celebration this year because of the government shutdown
KENT, Wash. - The Tahoma National Cemetery canceled its annual Veterans Day flag placement event for middle schoolers due to a lapse in funding caused by the government shutdown.
What we know:
The service-learning project brings 8th graders from the Tahoma School District to place over 50,000 flags across the national cemetery grounds, but this year's event was unable to go on.
Tahoma National Cemetery, Kent, Washington. (Joe Mabel // CC BY-SA 3.0)
The Tahoma National Cemetery remains open to visitors, but the ongoing government shutdown has led to a lapse in national funding, limiting operations at the site.
The Tahoma School District announced the flag placing event was canceled last week, and is now exploring replacement projects designed to honor service members in the spring.
"We know this news is deeply disappointing, and we share that feeling with our students, families, and community, as this event holds significant meaning for all of us," the district said to families in a Facebook post.
Dig deeper:
According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs website, there will be no ground maintenance at VA cemeteries under the VA Human Capital Contingency Plan. The VA previously stated that 37,000 employees were furloughed or are working without pay due to the ongoing government shutdown.
VA says 37,000 employees now furloughed or working without pay due to government shutdown
The Department of Veterans Affairs says 37,000 employees have been furloughed or are working without pay as the government shutdown continues.
The Tahoma National Cemetery says its staff is focusing on burials only as the government shutdown continues.
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The Source: Information in this story came from the Tahoma National Cemetery, the Tahoma School District, and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.