With Memorial Day comes the touching annual tradition of soldiers placing hundreds of thousands of American flags on tombstones at Arlington National Cemetery.
The annual event is called “flags in” and will see more than 230,000 American flags placed on the graves of fallen military personnel. Thursday’s flag-laying event kicks off a patriotic weekend of Memorial Day activities at the renowned cemetery.
Social media was filled with photos and videos showing just a few of what is ultimately thousands of soldiers placing nearly a quarter million flags near the final resting place of those who came before them:
MT @FitzFox5DC: Today @MDW_USARMY annual #FlagsIn ceremony @ArlingtonNatl. Placing flags on all headstones pic.twitter.com/ydpUhOqM82
— Arlington National Cemetery (@ArlingtonNatl) May 26, 2016
Staff Sgt. Sean Hackshaw @USArmyOldGuard placing flags at @ArlingtonNatl #FlagsIn @MDW_USARMY. Story at 6. pic.twitter.com/FWzMPBY5cN
— Kristin Wright (@kristinywright) May 26, 2016
At 5 @Fox5DC: Live in @ArlingtonNatl as @USArmyOldGuard & @MDW_USARMY #Soldiers place 240K #FlagsIn 🇺🇸#MemorialDay pic.twitter.com/zmxt3mRZ2V
— Tom Fitzgerald (@FitzFox5DC) May 26, 2016
Soldiers of #TheOldGuard put #flagsin for #MemorialDay pic.twitter.com/kRERmU5noX
— Jasper Colt (@jaspercolt) May 26, 2016
#FlagsIn: A beautiful #MemorialDay tradition. Via colleagues @TheOldGuard & @ArmyFifeandDrum https://t.co/Mvd8vYD3zg pic.twitter.com/wrDPlbplgT
— The U.S. Army Band “Pershing’s Own” (@theusarmyband) May 26, 2016
“For more than 60 years, the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard) has honored America’s fallen heroes by placing American flags at gravesites for service members buried at both Arlington National Cemetery and the U.S. Soldiers’ and Airmen’s Home National Cemetery just prior to the Memorial Day weekend,” says the Arlington National Cemetery website.
“This tradition, known as “Flags in,” has been conducted annually since The Old Guard was designated as the Army’s official ceremonial unit in 1948.”
#USArmy Soldiers from @The_Old_Guard prepare for #Flagsin @ArlingtonNatl in honor of #MemorialDayWeekend. pic.twitter.com/gSnqGF8Ig3
— The Old Guard (@USArmyOldGuard) May 26, 2016
A Memorial Day tradition and visual reminder of the cost of freedom. #flagsin https://t.co/cHBREhgSOE pic.twitter.com/FXSXRldgDt
— Mix 99.9 (@MixGulfCoast) May 26, 2016
Respect to those who paid the ultimate price. #GardensOfStone #FlagsIn #MemorialDay pic.twitter.com/kDtG2jriDX
— Odor Gladiator (@OdorGladiator) May 25, 2015
#ThankYou RT @newmediajim: One flag for every headstone at Arlington National Cemetery #FlagsIn #MemorialDay http://t.co/nGbh4e27qV
— Cellino and Barnes (@Cellino_Barnes) May 25, 2015
Soldiers also place about 14,000 flags at the Soldiers’ and Airmen’s Home National Cemetery in Washington. The “Flags in” ceremony is celebrated by civilians at military gravesites across the country.
5/28 #Flagsin at Calverton National & Long Island Natl Cemeteries to #HonortheFallen #MemorialDay pic.twitter.com/2pTfvTZPUi
— LI Military Veteran News (@LIMilVetNews) May 16, 2016
1000 soldiers from the Old Guard covered #ArlingtonNationalCemetery with 230,000 American flags today #flagsin pic.twitter.com/dPMZg9Gymy
— Elizabeth McLaughlin (@Elizabeth_McLau) May 26, 2016
https://twitter.com/lopezanissa814/status/602913377510240256
Spending #MemorialDay where it matters most @ArlingtonNatl #AmericanHeroes #FlagsIn #thankyou pic.twitter.com/hvunSR0X2K
— Michael Malloy (@mikemalloy7) May 25, 2015
The American flags fly during Memorial Day and are removed before the cemeteries open back up to the public.
Follow Jerome Hudson on Twitter: @jeromeehudson.
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