‘Preserve their legacy’: Old Guard places flags on graves of fallen service members at Arlington for Memorial Day (2024)
Members of the 3rd Infantry Regiment, also known as The Old Guard, place flags on a row in section 12 of Arlington National Cemetery on Thursday, May 23, 2024, to honor service members for Memorial Day. (Matthew Adams/Stars and Stripes)
ARLINGTON, Va. — Members of the Army’s oldest active-infantry unit placed flags at the graves of those buried at Arlington National Cemetery on Thursday morning before Memorial Day weekend.
This tradition, known as “Flags In,” has taken place annually since the 3rd Infantry Regiment, also known as The Old Guard, was designated as the Army’s official ceremonial unit in 1948. The soldiers placed flags in front of more than 260,000 headstones and 7,000 rows in the columbarium. It takes four hours for nearly 1,500 soldiers, including about 100 joint service members, to place the flags, according to the Arlington National Cemetery.
Members of the 3rd Infantry Regiment, also known as The Old Guard, place flags at the graves of those buried at Arlington National Cemetery for “Flags In” on Thursday, May 23, 2024, to honor fallen service members for Memorial Day. The annual event takes four hours for nearly 1,500 soldiers, including about 100 joint service members, according to Arlington National Cemetery. (Matthew Adams/Stars and Stripes)
A soldier from the 3rd Infantry Regiment, also known as The Old Guard, prepares to place flags at gravesites at Arlington National Cemetery on Thursday, May 23, 2024, to honor fallen service members for Memorial Day. (Matthew Adams/Stars and Stripes)
First Lt. Mary Thompson places flags at the graves of those buried at Arlington National Cemetery for “Flags In” on Thursday, May 23, 2024, to honor fallen service members for Memorial Day. (Matthew Adams/Stars and Stripes)
Soldiers from the 3rd Infantry Regiment, also known as The Old Guard, grab more flags on Thursday, May 23, 2024, to place at gravesites to honor service members for Memorial Day. The annual event, “Flags In,” is an annual event that takes four hours for nearly 1,500 soldiers, including about 100 joint service members, according to Arlington National Cemetery. (Matthew Adams/Stars and Stripes)
First Sgt. Brian Junga has been in the Army for 20 years, but this was his first time participating in the event now that he is stationed at Joint Base Fort Myer-Henderson Hall.
He doesn’t know anyone personally buried at Arlington. He has a distant relative who is buried there, and he has friends who have friends buried there. Some of them reached out over the last week asking if Junga would place a flag at their gravesite.
“As I was walking around trying to find this particular grave and looking at the names and just thinking, ‘This could have been me,’ ” Junga said. “It really makes you appreciate how fortunate you are, and it also makes you grieve. Whatever I can do to help right that ship and help preserve their legacy, we can do it.”
A group of soldiers from the 3rd Infantry Regiment, also known as The Old Guard, places flags at gravesites at Arlington National Cemetery on Thursday, May 23, 2024, to honor fallen service members for Memorial Day. (Matthew Adams/Stars and Stripes)
Sgt. Steven Khaytsis places flags in section 12 of Arlington National Cemetery on Thursday, May 23, 2024, for the annual “Flags In” event to honor fallen service members for Memorial Day. (Matthew Adams/Stars and Stripes)
A member of The Old Guard reaches into a soldier’s backpack for more flags to place at graves in Arlington National Cemetery on Thursday, May 23, 2024, to honor the fallen service members for Memorial Day. (Matthew Adams/Stars and Stripes)
Members of the 3rd Infantry Regiment, also known as The Old Guard, place flags at the graves of those buried at Arlington National Cemetery for “Flags In” on Thursday, May 23, 2024, to honor fallen service members for Memorial Day. It is an annual event the regiment has conducted since being designated as the Army’s official ceremonial unit in 1948. (Matthew Adams/Stars and Stripes)
On Sunday, Arlington National Cemetery will host the third Flowers of Remembrance Day at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, according to a news release. The public is invited to place a flower at the tomb from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in honor of the Unknown Soldiers, and all those who served and sacrificed for the United States.
The flags will be picked up Tuesday following the holiday, an Old Guard spokesperson said.
Kahvontey Woodburry places flags at the graves of those buried at Arlington National Cemetery for “Flags In” on Thursday, May 23, 2024, to honor fallen service members for Memorial Day. This group of soldiers started in sections 41, 42 and 43 of the cemetery. (Matthew Adams/Stars and Stripes)
Members of the 3rd Infantry Regiment, also known as The Old Guard, place flags at the graves of those buried at Arlington National Cemetery for “Flags In” on Thursday, May 23, 2024, to honor fallen service members for Memorial Day. The annual event takes four hours for nearly 1,500 soldiers, including about 100 joint service members, according to Arlington National Cemetery. (Matthew Adams/Stars and Stripes)
Spc. Oliver Eriksson, left, and Spc. Norman Rindfliesch place flags at the graves of those buried at Arlington National Cemetery for “Flags In” on Thursday, May 23, 2024, to honor fallen service members for Memorial Day. (Matthew Adams/Stars and Stripes)
Members of the 3rd Infantry Regiment, also known as The Old Guard, place flags at the graves of those buried at Arlington National Cemetery for “Flags In” on Thursday May 23, 2024, to honor fallen service members for Memorial Day. Soldiers for the annual event place flags in front of more than 260,000 headstones and 7,000 rows in the columbarium. (Matthew Adams/Stars and Stripes)
This tradition, known as “Flags In,” has taken place annually since the 3rd Infantry Regiment
3rd Infantry Regiment
The 3rd United States Infantry Regiment is a regiment of the United States Army. It currently has three active battalions, and is readily identified by its nickname, The Old Guard, as well as Escort to the President.
https://en.wikipedia.org › wiki › 3rd_U.S._Infantry_Regiment...
, also known as The Old Guard, was designated as the Army's official ceremonial unit in 1948. The soldiers placed flags in front of more than 260,000 headstones and 7,000 rows in the columbarium.
The tradition has taken place since the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment was designated as the Army's official ceremonial unit in 1948. Each flag is inserted into the ground, exactly one boot length from the headstone's base. All flags are removed after Memorial Day, before the cemetery opens to the public.
Decoration of veterans' graves. Each municipality, as directed by its municipal officers, annually shall decorate on the day Memorial Day is observed the graves of veterans of the Armed Forces of the United States of America with an American flag and appropriate flag holders.
The yearly tradition at Arlington National Cemetery takes about four hours — placing a small American flag exactly one boot-length from each of the 260,000 headstones.
One of its duties is this annual “flags-in” ceremony, which planted more than 267,000 American flags Thursday. Taylor's company aimed to plant up to 30,000 flags in four hours.
The white crosses of Arlington Cemetery serve as reminders of this solemn day (Memorial Day), and speak for those they represent by saying, “Remember me”. Helpful? They are all throughout the cemetery. In the older parts mostly.
When there is no next-of-kin, the VA will furnish the flag to a friend upon request. For those VA national cemeteries with an Avenue of Flags, families of Veterans buried in these national cemeteries may donate the burial flags of their loved ones to be flown on patriotic holidays.
On Memorial Day the flag should be flown at half-staff from sunrise until noon only, then raised briskly to the top of the staff until sunset, in honor of the nation's battle heroes.
As we honor America's brave servicemen and women, Memorial Day is the perfect time to don your custom American flag shirt. This national holiday commemorates those who gave their lives in service of the nation—a somber reminder that freedom isn't always free.
Fresh cut flowers may be placed on graves at any time. ANC provides portable temporary cones for flowers that the public may use. These cones can be found throughout the cemetery in centralized containers. Artificial flowers may be placed on gravesites from October 10 through April 15.
Cyrus Page sent the flag to the centennial celebration at Concord on April 19, 1875, and flew it from the old Page homestead for the 1879 Sesquicentennial of Bedford. In 1885, just before his death, he entrusted the flag to the Bedford Free Public Library, where it is still on display.
From just prior to Memorial Day until just after September 11, the Veterans Administration arranges for a U.S. flag to be flown in each holder. The VFW, American Legion, and the Boy Scouts are some of the army of volunteers who spend Saturdays in May placing the flags.
Up to 30 funerals take place each day. Flags at the cemetery are flown at half-staff from one-half hour before the first scheduled memorial funeral service until one-half hour after the last service of the day. Every Thursday before Memorial Day, a small flag is placed in front of each headstone.
Each flag is inserted into the ground, exactly one boot length from the headstone's base. At the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, the Sentinels (who are members of the Old Guard) place flags to honor the Unknowns.
Up to 30 funerals take place each day. Flags at the cemetery are flown at half-staff from one-half hour before the first scheduled memorial funeral service until one-half hour after the last service of the day. Every Thursday before Memorial Day, a small flag is placed in front of each headstone.
Significance: Flags draped over coffins honor the memory of military members who serve the United States, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Qualifications: Most veterans and active-service members of the military qualify for flag-draped coffins at their funerals.
Why Does VA Provide a Burial Flag? A United States flag is provided, at no cost, to drape the casket or accompany the urn of a deceased Veteran who served honorably in the U.S. Armed Forces. It is furnished to honor the memory of a Veteran's military service to his or her country.
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