Over 900 soldiers from the Old Guard (3rd U.S. Infantry) at Ft Myer, place over 200,000 flags on the graves of fallen military at Arlington Ceme
tery. They have been doing this since the Old Guard was established in 1948. Each flag is centered and placed in a specific spot, exactly one foot in front of each headstone. The ceremony is called Flags-In.
Within four hours, the soldiers place flags in front of more than 228,000 headstones and at the bottom of about 7,000 niche rows in the cemetery’s Columbarium Courts and the Niche Wall.
Army Chaplains place flags in front of the four memorials and the headstones located on Chaplain’s Hill in Section 2.
Tomb Sentinels also place flags at the gravesites of the unknown interred at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
The flags are removed before the cemetery opens to the public the day after Memorial Day.
Thank you for remembering our fallen, Pat.
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Lavinia, thanks for your kind words. I’tt’ my pleasure and privilege to do so. I worked at Ft Myer Library for many years, which is the Army base right next to Arlington Cemetery so I saw that display of flags and wreathes often. Always very touching.
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