The Nantucket Residents Who Honor The Island's Fallen Heroes Every Memorial Day Weekend

Beginning in the early morning hours on Friday, Nick Duarte, Jimmy Durette, Eric Patterson and his father Jimmy Patterson, and Drew Arent began their annual trek to each veteran’s gravestone ahead of Memorial Day Weekend. By the end of the day Friday, they visited every cemetery on the island and every Nantucket veteran’s gravesite to pay their respects to our fallen heroes.

Duarte said there are between 860 and 870 veterans who are buried on Nantucket. Each veteran will be honored with an American Flag as well as flowers from Bartlett Farm to celebrate their legacy and help bring the cemetery to life. Each flag will be properly disposed of per military protocol at the ceremonial burn on Flag Day at the VFW.

After spending the entirety of Friday visiting each veteran’s burial place, Saturday will be utilized as a maintenance day to make sure no veterans were missed ahead of Sunday’s Memorial Day Parade.

If you believe one of your family members or friends was missed, Durette said to reach out to them at the American Legion.

Below are photos taken by David Creed of the island residents visiting the island cemeteries Friday morning.