American flags note the graves of veterans at the Plains Presbyterian Church Cemetery in Cranberry Township.

EVANS CITY — This weekend American flags will dot cemeteries across Butler County to mark the graves of those who served.

It's a tradition steeped in history, and a task that can be complicated.

According to John Cyprian, director of Butler County Veteran Services, the practice dates back to the 1920s, when the county had a grave registration committee. During that time, grave sites were mapped and veterans' graves were noted.

Although that program ended, the tradition continued with veterans service organizations such as the Veterans of Foreign Wars, American Legion, Legion Riders and others coming together to canvass the county with flags and markers. The practice is a county mandate, Cyprian said.

Cyprian said some challenges have arisen on a national and local level, such as when a veteran dies in another state and is transported back to Butler County for burial. Officials sometimes don't get proper records, leaving their status as a veteran unknown.

To combat that, Cyprian said his office tries to keep track of every veteran grave in the county, with committees working to make sure nobody is forgotten. He also recommends that veterans' families take an extra step when creating a headstone.

“We encourage the families, if the grave is not marked that they're a veteran, try to mark the headstone,” he said.

The service organizations spend the week leading up to Memorial Day and other such holidays placing American flags on more than 30,000 veterans' graves throughout the county, Cyprian said. The flags are purchased and distributed by the Veterans Services office.

Two such veterans who will work to place flags Saturday are Bill and Earnest Caldwell of Evans City. Bill Caldwell is a Vietnam veteran, while his father, Earnest, is a 93-year-old World War II veteran. Both belong to the Evans City VFW Post 499.

Bill Caldwell said his group of about 15 to 20 volunteers will place 48 dozen flags on numerous cemeteries in the southwest corner of the county. He said the group is always on the lookout for graves that lack a bronze marker or new sites of which volunteers may be unaware. He said older cemeteries can also present a challenge.

“You have guys from the Spanish-American War or World War I, and you can't read anything on them anymore,” he said.

Bill Caldwell said his organization works to make sure every veteran is honored and marked with a flag. He said the task also serves as a chance to see family and friends who gave the ultimate sacrifice and take a moment to reflect.

“My motivation is it's something I feel like I should do, because I'm one of the ones who made it,” he said. “It's just a no-brainer.”