An hour past sunrise, uniformed Boy Scouts descended on a quiet cemetery with a stash of miniature American flags. Row by row, the Scouts planted the flags in front of the headstones of fallen veterans. The annual event at Long Island National Cemetery, adjacent to Pinelawn Memorial Park and Arboretum, draws volunteers from Boy and Girl Scout troops and other groups, including AMVETS and the Saint John XXIII Assembly of the Knights of Columbus.
Each group comes to honor all deceased veterans and their spouses on the Saturday before Memorial Day. “It’s not about barbecues and the unofficial start of summer,” said Joe Fatuzzo, scout master of North Babylon’s Troop 399. “It’s about remembering those who have passed and served our country, in whatever capacity that was.
” Fatuzzo has been participating in the ceremony since his son was a Cub Scout about 25 years ago. While he and others planted flags in Farmingdale, volunteers do the same at Calverton National Cemetery starting at 9:30 a.am.
Nearly 5,000 volunteers from 108 Boy and Cub Scout troops, 35 Girl Scout units and 120 other organizations, including school groups and families, were expected at Calverton — the larger of the two cemeteries — according to Frank Bailey, of the Calverton Flag Placement Committee. “It’s not about veterans, it’s about those who have died,” Fatuzzo said. “We try to teach the scouts that.
” Among the scouts Saturday morning was Quinn Flanagan, 13, of North Babylon. “P.
