DEERING - New red, white and blue stars and stripes fluttered in the cool November breeze Tuesday as "Amazing Grace" echoed through the Melvin Cemetery.

More than 40 friends and family members visited the small rural cemetery along County Road 6 (Deering-Bald Knob Road) for a flag dedication ceremony and to honor the veterans laid to rest there.

After opening the solemn event with a prayer, VFW Post 2761 and the AmVets Post 141, both of Symmes Valley, provided a 21-gun salute while local musician Marty Smith played "Taps" and

"Amazing Grace."

For Elizabeth Melvin, the ceremony was extremely personal because her mother and other close family members are buried there.

"I am overwhelmed. I didn't anticipate this many people especially in November," she said. "It goes to show that, overall, the people remember our veterans and really care about them."

Melvin and others have worked to restore the cemetery over the past three years. This day was particularly important because many of the veterans buried there were never honored the way they should have been, she said.

"As of today, they were given the 21-gun salute they deserved," Melvin said. "That was the important thing."

She said the ceremony also gave everyone an opportunity to see people they haven't seen in a while and to recognize other veterans in the cemetery that they may not have known about.

"This means a great deal to me because it shows the pride and accomplishment of a family and what they can do when they are supportive of each other," she said.

Dozens of small flags marked graves where veterans were buried in the cemetery that was established in 1825.

Kenneth Kingrey, commander of both military organizations, said that the day was for all the great Americans who served their nation, many of whom paid the ultimate price.

"If there is just one veteran buried in the fields, we will honor them,"Kingrey said. "That is how important this is."