Quite honestly, if your father's service needs to be noticed to him, just do it yourself and not include him in the ceremony. I love the ceremony but your father might be more appreciative of it if he wasn't a part of the whole thing. Get there about about a half hour before it starts, sit on the benches facing the railroad station and when the participants come out, acknowledge them and then (this is important), turn around. You can then clearly see their walk to the flagpole and all that and then the walk back. If that doesn't stir something in all of you, I don't know what will.
After the ceremony, have someone from your group see if they can find a member of the group and then ask that person to speak to your father. I think that will mean more.
