More than 75 volunteers place 20,000 American flags ahead of Memorial Day

Published 12:17 pm Friday, May 23, 2025

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A total of 20,000 American flags were placed on graves in the Vicksburg National Cemetery Friday by more than 75 volunteers.

Kelli Ellison, right, and Kaylan Ellison were part of more than 75 volunteers who placed American flags on graves at the Vicksburg National Cemetery Friday ahead of Monday's Memorial Day holiday. (Photos by Terri Cowart Frazier/The Vicksburg Post)

More than 75 volunteers participated in the flag placement at the Vicksburg National Cemetery Friday inside the Vicksburg National Military Park (VNMP) in preparation for Monday’s Memorial Day holiday.

This year, 20,000 flags were placed in the cemetery at individual grave sites — the final resting place for more than 18,000 U.S. Veterans, 17,000 of which are Union Civil War soldiers. That number is unmatched by any other national cemetery.

The flag placement is sponsored by the National Park Service and the Friends of Vicksburg National Military Park & Campaign.

Helping with the flag placement were Vicksburg residents Kelli and Kaylan Ellison.

Kelli said volunteering for the service is something she has always wanted to do.

“This is our first time to participate in something like this. We just wanted to be a small part of remembering what happened here,” she said.

Kelli said her family would be traveling over the holiday and, since they would not be in town for all the Memorial Day events, “this was something we could do for the weekend.”

Additional events being held during the Memorial Day weekend include:

Vicksburg Farmer’s Market: 8-11 a.m. Saturday at Washington Street Park;
The King of Battle: Artillery Drill and Firing Demonstration: 9:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Saturday at VNMP, 3201 Clay St.;
Symphony at Sunset: The Mississippi Symphony Orchestra will perform beginning at 7:30 p.m. Saturday in front of the VNMP Visitor Center, 3201 Clay St. The event is free;
Memorial Day Parade and Ceremony: The parade will roll beginning at 10 a.m. Monday, May 26, on Washington Street to Jackson Street;
Memorial Day Ceremony: 11 a.m. Monday, May 26, at the Ardis T. Williams, Sr. Auditorium, 901 Monroe St.

About Terri Cowart Frazier

Terri Frazier was born in Cleveland. Shortly afterward, the family moved to Vicksburg. She is a part-time reporter at The Vicksburg Post and is the editor of the Vicksburg Living Magazine, which has been awarded First Place by the Mississippi Press Association. She has also been the recipient of a First Place award in the MPA’s Better Newspaper Contest’s editorial division for the “Best Feature Story.”

Terri graduated from Warren Central High School and Mississippi State University where she received a bachelor’s degree in communications with an emphasis in public relations.

Prior to coming to work at The Post a little more than 10 years ago, she did some freelancing at the Jackson Free Press. But for most of her life, she enjoyed being a full-time stay at home mom.

Terri is a member of the Crawford Street United Methodist Church. She is a lifetime member of the Vicksburg Junior Auxiliary and is a past member of the Sampler Antique Club and Town and Country Garden Club. She is married to Dr. Walter Frazier.

“From staying informed with local governmental issues to hearing the stories of its people, a hometown newspaper is vital to a community. I have felt privileged to be part of a dedicated team at The Post throughout my tenure and hope that with theirs and with local support, I will be able to continue to grow and hone in on my skills as I help share the stories in Vicksburg. When asked what I like most about my job, my answer is always ‘the people.’

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