[By JoAnn R. Walter]
Tioga County’s dear friend, Erwin Flohr, of Helmond, the Netherlands, has visited and decorated the graves of six Tioga County service people buried in overseas cemeteries since 2008.
Flohr travels annually to the Netherlands American Cemetery in Margraten, which is about 60 miles southeast from his home, and also to Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery in eastern Belgium, an additional 20 miles from Margraten.
Erwin Flohr stands next to the grave of Pfc. Edward Whalen of Straits Corners, buried in the Netherlands American Cemetery in Margraten. Photo credit: Erwin Flohr.
In 2025, Erwin and his wife traveled to the United States, and he was a guest speaker at the Service of Remembrance in Owego.
He shared then, “A lot of times people ask why I adopt graves. If it wasn’t for these soldiers, I wouldn’t have the life I have now. It is a way to thank them and pay my respect, and I will continue to do so as long as I can.”
Pictured is Erwin Flohr alongside the grave of Glenn A. Warner, who was killed while serving with the U.S. Army in Germany. Warner was the first member of the Owego VFW Post to be Killed in Action, and the Post was renamed Glenn A. Warner Post 1371 in his honor. He is buried in the Netherlands American Cemetery in Margraten. Photo credit: Erwin Flohr.
Sadly, Erwin did not have the opportunity to meet Jim Raftis, Sr., who passed away on May 11 last year, just prior to Memorial Day. Erwin and Jim corresponded often through the years, developed a lasting friendship, and shared a common goal of honoring veterans. When Erwin was searching for information in 2008, Raftis asked Erwin to consider decorating all six graves of Tioga County soldiers.
Erwin lays flowers at the graves of Tioga County soldiers as close to Memorial Day as he can. Via a recent email correspondence, Erwin explained that he typically chooses red or white roses to decorate the graves, as these are shared colors of the national flags of the Netherlands and the United States.
Pictured is Erwin Flohr next to the grave of Pfc. James M. LaDue of Waverly, buried in Henri-Chapelle Cemetery in Belgium. Photo credit: Erwin Flohr.
Erwin also noted, “When I am at the cemeteries, I always walk different paths to and from the graves I decorate. That way, I can see the names of other soldiers buried there, learn where they are from, in which unit they served, and when they died. This way, I am honoring and thanking these soldiers, too, for the freedom we have.”
Erwin keeps up on happenings in Tioga County via social media, too, and was pleased to learn that Hero Banners have been placed throughout the Village of Owego this spring.
Pictured is Erwin Flohr alongside the grave of Sgt. Richard Hoyt of Candor, buried in the Netherlands American Cemetery in Margraten. Photo credit: Erwin Flohr.
He explained that in Normandy, France, soldiers who fought at D-Day are remembered with similar Hero Banners. In photos he provided from his visits to Margraten and Henri-Chapelle, Erwin wears a jacket stitched with the words, “D-Day 1944, Operation Overlord,” in memory of our American soldiers.
A Memorial Day Parade, coordinated by Parade Chairman John Loftus, is planned through downtown Owego on May 25. The parade will begin at 10 a.m. in front of the Owego Police Department on Temple Street, then follow a route up North Avenue, east on Main Street, south on Paige Street, and west on Front Street.
A Service of Remembrance will immediately follow in the Courthouse Square, near the Memorials, with Iraq Gold Star Mother, Barbara Bilbrey, as emcee. The Keynote Speaker, Bob Russell, Director of the Tioga County United Way, will formally introduce the new Hero Banners.
Erwin Flohr is pictured by the graveside of Pvt. Walter R. Magee of Lounsberry, buried in the Netherlands American Cemetery in Margraten. Photo credit: Erwin Flohr.
V.F.W. Post 1371 Honor Guard, Owego Elementary students, and the OFA Marching Band, among others, will participate during the ceremony. Wreath tributes are planned, along with the reading of the names of Tioga County’s Fallen Heroes and of veterans who have died since Veterans Day.
All are welcome to remember and honor those who died while in active service to our country, and to reflect on and show gratitude to those who gave their lives so that we all could go on to live in freedom.
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