Katy VFW Post 9182 held a ceremony honoring those interred at Katy’s Magnolia Cemetery who passed in service to the country. Katy Mayor Bill Hastings and Mayor Pro Tem Chris Harris participated in the event which placed 472 American flags on headstones throughout the cemetery.

“This event was a substitute to our annual event held at Katy Magnolia Cemetery which we canceled due to the social distancing needs and the number of most vulnerable folks, those most likely to catch the virus, who might try to attend,” Post 9182 Commander Don Byrne said.

Byrne said the ceremony was short in comparison to what the members of his organization would have liked to put on, but with gathering restrictions due to COVID-19 it was important to keep those among the group’s membership safe and practice social distancing.

The ceremony included a program that included raising and lowering the flag at the cemetery to half-staff – both the U.S. flag and POW flag – a prayer honoring those veterans who made the ultimate sacrifice and recognition of Delores Brown, wife of Tuskegee Airman and retired Air Force Major Larry Brown, Jr.

About 30-40 attended the ceremony, including Delores Brown.

The tradition of honoring those interred at Magnolia Cemetery was originally begun by Pauline Wright and her daughter Roberta Rylander, said David Frishman, a local attorney and history buff who also attended the ceremony.