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Also ashamed of NU Cemetery rules

To the editor:

We also have an approved plant stand in the Soldier’s Rest section of the New Ulm cemetery. Our flag and red, white and blue pinwheel were removed (we assumed they were stolen). As soon as they were removed the deer ate our plant. So I made a new artificial pot with red white and blue decorations that I spray foamed into the pot so they couldn’t be stolen or pulled out by the deer. The whole pot was removed. That is when we found out that it was the employees that are removing them (following their orders from the Board Members).

The flags and decorations are getting out of hand and they gave us a brochure with the rules (I don’t think there is a sign in Soldier’s rest with the rules, you learn them the hard way).

Yep, right after artificial flowers it lists flags at the top of the list as unacceptable things to put in our pots on stands we paid for, on plots we paid for, for our loved ones who served our country, except on a few select days out of the year.

What an insult to our vets!! We can decorate the cemetery full of flags for Memorial Day in honor of the vets, but forget them for the rest of the year? But don’t worry, it’s luck of the draw. Only some people’s flags and decorations are removed. If you decorate with cute butterflies chances are they will leave it. And some flags and red, white, and blue decorations are left alone. They pick and choose which ones they feel like removing.

I went out this morning and took 30 pictures of pots with decorations still in them right around the area where ours was removed. Twice. I have always been proud of New Ulm and belong to many groups that promote New Ulm. My dad, my husband and I spend too many hours to count on events, programs, etc because of our love for our community. But honestly, I am very ashamed now to be from a city that doesn’t think our Vet section, Soldier’s Rest, is worthy of flags.

I apologize to EVERY vet, here or gone, for the disgraceful way our cemetery looks at the American Flag. They do not speak for the majority of us. This is only the opinion of the handful of Board Members.

Lori Wengert

New Ulm

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