Despite the pandemic, Long Islanders paid tribute to the nation’s fallen heroes at cemeteries, marking their graves with American flags.

Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone was at Babylon Rural Cemetery with some retired members of the NYPD on Saturday morning.

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Bellone attempted to get federal officials to reverse a decision to cancel flag placement by large groups at Calverton and Long Island National Cemetery. The National Cemetery Administration said the risk to public health was too high.

The county executive then put out a call for volunteers to go in smaller groups to more than a dozen smaller cemeteries across Suffolk to continue the tradition.

"We had an overwhelming amount of support from people who answered the call to volunteer, who donated flags this week – thousands of flags were donated," he told News 12.

Volunteers wore face coverings and stuck to the social distancing mandate – small precautions that pale in comparison to the sacrifice made by the fallen service members.

Calverton and Long Island National are open this weekend for families to place flags at their loved one's graves.