By Renee Worthing
Register Reporter
With the help of nearly 60 volunteers May 17, Rolling Thunder’s Maine Chapter 2 accomplished what it wanted to do for years – decorated the graves of veterans with flags and markers.
“The state has mandated that every grave be marked with a flag and suitable marker,” Chapter President Joe Armstrong said.
Rolling Thunder’s primary mission is to bring awareness about Vietnam War soldiers still classified as Prisoners of War or Missing in Action. While membership in the group is open to all, it is primarily identified with motorcycle-riding Vietnam Veterans.
Chapter Vice President Steve Malo said the flag and marker project began when the group realized graves were not decorated.
“We started asking questions,” Malo said. “Everyone was under the impression that someone else was responsible for decorating.”
He said some families decorated the graves of their loved ones, but there were situations where there was no family alive or living nearby to take up the task.
Malo and Armstrong collected a list of names and spent a year and a half searching the four public cemeteries for veterans’ graves with assistance from local historian Harland Eastman. The walked through Oakdale and Saint Ignatius cemeteries in Sanford and Riverside and Notre Dame cemeteries in Springvale. As they walked the cemeteries, section-by-section, they marked off the names of service members.
“It was a labor of love,” Malo said.
After locating 1,500 veteran graves, Rolling Thunder appealed to the Sanford Town Council for funds to help purchase the flags and markers mandated by law.
The town donated $4,000 to the project, but Armstrong said about $10,000 was needed.
 Armstrong said when word got out, local organizations sent donations, some as much as $1,000.
“The donations were really a nice outpouring of support,” he said.
Armstrong said during the weekend of May 3, Rolling Thunder set up tables at Shaw’s, Wal-Mart and Marden’s where they collected about $2,000.
On Saturday, as rain began to darken the headstones at Oakdale Cemetery in Sanford, volunteers gathered armfuls of American flags and generic military service markers. They walked the cemetery, locating headstones indicating military service, pushing a marker into the earth and an American flag into the marker.
Armstrong said although markers are available for specific wars and branches of the military, the group chose generic markers that read “U.S. Veteran.”
He said too many variables might have resulted in the wrong marker being placed on a grave.
As the morning wore on and the rain fell harder, the cemetery bloomed with red, white and blue flags.
Armstrong and Malo said they were pleased with the number of volunteers from Rolling Thunder, Combat Veterans Motorcycle Association, as well as Sanford High School seniors volunteering time in exchange for community hours necessary for graduation.
 “It’s a win-win situation,” Armstrong said. “The high school students get to earn community service hours and pay tribute to the veterans who fought for their freedom.”
Sanford High School Teacher Paul Auger also volunteered his time.
Rolling Thunder Members Joe Petty and Doug Stapley paused in the old section of Oakdale Cemetery and glanced around one last time before moving on to another section.
“I thought there would be more Civil War vets in this area,” Stapley said.
Petty said he hoped not a single veteran was missed.
Around the cemetery’s flagpole, the group drove a marker from each branch of the military into the ground as well as markers commemorating each war.
Sanford High School Junior Brian Cote pushed a marker into the grass.
“It feels good to do this,” Cote aid. “Both my parents are veterans.”
Malo said he hopes other towns will take a cue from Sanford and Springvale and also decorate graves in their communities.
“Steve has worked so hard on this,” Armstrong said. “He works nights and researches during the day. He gives up sleep and personal time to honor these veterans. He should really be commended.”
Rolling Thunder and other volunteers will decorate graves at Riverside Cemetery and Notre Dame Cemetery this Saturday.  Malo said the flags and markers would be collected soon after Flag Day on June 14.
 To contact Renee Worthing, email news@intheregister.com or 282-4337 ext. 240