Army Old Guard Places 260,000 Flags at Arlington National Cemetery for Memorial Day

Across the United States, communities are honoring fallen veterans and first responders by placing American flags at their gravesites in time for Memorial Day. In St. Joseph Valley Memorial Park, 700 flags were placed by veterans and volunteers from Homes for Heroes, a real estate company supporting veterans and first responders. Farmington, New Mexico, displayed 500 flags alongside 200 dog tags commemorating fallen veterans, organized by the San Juan Rotary Club and local volunteers, culminating in a Memorial Day ceremony. The Flags for Fort Snelling group revived a decades-old tradition by placing nearly 200,000 flags at every gravestone in Fort Snelling National Cemetery, growing from a modest 3,000 flags ten years ago through community support and volunteer efforts. At Arlington National Cemetery, nearly 1,500 soldiers from the Army's 3rd Infantry Regiment, known as the Old Guard, placed over 260,000 flags along headstones in a solemn four-hour tradition honoring service members. These widespread flag-placement events reflect a nationwide commitment to remembering the sacrifices of military and first responders through community involvement and enduring tributes.