City of Des Moines Parks and Recreation Department

Honoring Our Veterans

Our local cemeteries are alive with memories and volunteers can help preserve those memories and experiences. Memorial Day, originally known as Decoration Day, originated years following the Civil War and became an official federal holiday in 1971. Many people observe the day by visiting cemeteries or memorials and decorating graves.

Flag Placement

 Help us honor men and women who died while serving in the military by placing flags in standards (the stakes that hold the flag into the ground) and preparing for Memorial Day weekend.

Flag Removal

American flags that were placed on veterans' graves prior to Memorial Day now need to be removed and placed into storage.  Each year, the cemetery places over 3,500 flags in the upright veteran's section at Glendale Cemetery in Block 34/35. The flags are removed as part of the decoration removal process.  Once the flags are removed, they are placed in storage to re-use in the future.  The Des Moines Parks and Recreation cemetery staff maintains the placement and removal of flags in Block 34/35.  

Interested in becoming an ongoing cemetery volunteer? Check out our Adopt-a-Block program! More details here: Adopt a Block