Roanoke, Va. – Evergreen Burial Park opened its gates for an interactive tour to recognize notable veterans this Memorial Day weekend.
As families followed thousands of American flags, they paused at four cemetery plots to hear the stories of former soldiers: Bill Overstreet, Randall Claiborne Knisely, Robert Henry Day and Lewis H. Grant.
The walk-in history meant the most to Barbara Duerk whose friends and family were also laid to rest in the cemetery.
“Memorial Day for me is something I learned from my grandmother,” Duerk said. “And she said it was Declaration Day, and it was time to put flags on the cemetery.”
To honor Capt. Bill Overstreet, a veteran told the famous story of how Overstreet flew underneath the Eiffel Tower to take down a German aircraft during World War II.
Lee Anthony, a veteran who served in the U.S. Naval Reserve for more than 30 years, said it’s history that should never be forgotten.
“People of Virginia throughout the ages responded to the call to defend their country, their land, their people,” Anthony said.
Dressed in period costumes, living historians pointed out details on their uniforms as they explained the conditions soldiers faced on the battlefield.
An interactive element Evergreen Memorial Park President Donald Wilson was eager to add in the cemetery’s first Memorial Day tour.
“I think it makes it just a little more impactful when they dress up and, you know, look the part,” Wilson said.
Anthony said he hopes people remember Memorial Day as a day to honor those who sacrificed rather than a day of sales.