[slideshow_deploy id=’1081′]On Monday, May 22, the Veterans Honor Guard that serves Beaver Dam, Bunkerville and Mesquite were on hand at the Beaver Dam Cemetery to honor the Veterans with a flag raising ceremony, gun salute and playing of taps.
James Candelas, a resident of Beaver Dam, has taken on the care of the cemetery as his own way of serving the veterans and the community. Jim’s family has served in one branch or another of the armed forces since 1940. He is retired from the 82nd Airborne Unit of the Army. He served during the Korean War.
Through this heritage James was inspired to create these five monuments at the Cemetery Honoring the Air Force, Army, Marines, Navy and National Guard. Being a former concrete man, Jim used his talents to build the 10 ft. high monuments and the platform where they stand.
Lynn Evans, one of the attendees of the ceremony, said “James is an Angel. He is a humble, quiet man that comes to the cemetery every day and works for a few hours weeding, painting the fence post, putting in solar yard lights, cleaning or whatever is needed.” This year James bought flags for all the Veterans graves at the cemetery and built the monuments using his own money or donated materials.
The Beaver Dam Station at 411 N Highway 91 has a donation jar in the bar area to help with the up keep of the cemetery and to help defray costs from Jim’s limited income as a retired veteran that he uses to maintain the cemetery.
