For nearly four decades, a quiet but deeply meaningful tradition has unfolded at Oak Hill Cemetery in Clermont. Every Memorial Day and Veterans Day, hundreds of American flags appear beside the graves of veterans and first responders — a moving display that ensures the service and sacrifice of local heroes are never forgotten.
Since the late 1980s, the Kiwanis Club of Clermont has honored the patriotics laid to rest at Oak Hill Cemetery by placing a United States flag at each gravesite. What began as a small community gesture has grown into one of South Lake County’s most treasured patriotic traditions.
On the morning of Saturday, May 23, Clermont residents Chuck Seaver and Greg Amann joined fellow club members, Key Club students, and community volunteers at Oak Hill Cemetery to continue the heartfelt mission.
Today, 561 known gravesites were recognized.
A lifelong Clermont resident, Seaver has spent years overseeing the labor-intensive effort of identifying gravesites, maintaining records, organizing volunteers, and ensuring every flag is respectfully placed. He often refers to the project as his “labor of love.”
According to Seaver, the tradition began more than 40 years ago when his grandfather, Oakley Seaver, and great-aunt, Nelle Seaver, walked the cemetery grounds themselves, carefully locating and documenting the graves of veterans. Together, they created the original cemetery map still used as the foundation for today’s flag placements.
As the project expanded over the years, Oakley Seaver — himself a Clermont Kiwanian — asked the Kiwanis Club to carry the tradition forward.
In 2018, the tribute grew once again when the club began recognizing first responders in addition to military veterans, honoring the men and women who dedicated their lives to protecting the community.
Placing more than 560 flags throughout Oak Hill Cemetery is no small undertaking. Throughout the year, Seaver continuously updates the database, verifies gravesites, and coordinates volunteers to ensure no hero is overlooked. During the weeks surrounding Memorial Day and Veterans Day, he is often seen walking the cemetery grounds, checking that every flag remains standing proudly.
This Memorial Day, the flags will remain displayed through May 30, creating a peaceful and patriotic atmosphere throughout the historic cemetery. Residents are encouraged to take a quiet drive or walk through Oak Hill Cemetery and reflect on the sacrifices made by the brave men and women who served both country and community.
The Kiwanis Club also extended its appreciation to the many volunteers who helped place the flags this year, including students from South Lake High School, First Academy-Leesburg, and Real Life Christian Academy.
Special thanks were also given to the City of Clermont for its continued support of the decades-old tradition.
Memorial Day, originally known as Decoration Day, began in the years following the Civil War and officially became a federal holiday in 1971. Observed on the last Monday in May, the holiday honors the men and women who died while serving in the United States military.
Community members who believe a loved one may have been unintentionally omitted from the cemetery maps are encouraged to contact the Kiwanis Club so the records can continue to be updated and preserved for future generations.
Oak Hill Cemetery is located on East Avenue, directly off Highway 50 in Clermont. This week, as hundreds of American flags wave gently in the breeze, visitors are invited to pause, remember, and honor the heroes whose legacy continues to live on through this enduring Clermont tradition.
