Joint services place 'Flags In' at Arlington National Cemetery

A Soldier in the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard) measures one foot with his boot, and places a flag in front of a grave marker at Arlington National Cemetery during the annual tradition "Flags In" May 21.

Joint services place 'Flags In' at Arlington National Cemetery By Alex McVeigh Every Memorial Day since 1948, Soldiers from the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard) have made their way through Fort Myer's Selfridge Gate, rucksacks filled with American flags. This year was no exception as every available Soldier from The Old Guard, as well as from ceremonial units across each branch of the military, gathered at Arlington National Cemetery May 21, to place a flag in front of each one of the cemetery's more than 300,000 graves. "Flags In," as it's known, kicks off the Memorial Day weekend for service members and visitors to ANC, beginning several days of reflecting on the sacrifices of the men and women who have laid down their lives for our country.

You couldn't ask for better weather, 85 degrees and not a cloud in the sky, and a light breeze blew to keep the air from becoming too muggy. Soldiers commented that it's been this way for the past few years, which makes their job that much easier.

Wooden crates packed with flags lined the roads of ANC, and service members refilled their backpacks until every grave had a flag one foot from it's base.

"It's a privilege to be out here, it's a very specific group that is allowed to do this," said Sgt. Andrew Jansen of The Old Guard's Headquarters Company. This is Jansen's fifth year participating.

The Marine Corps Barracks 8th and I, the Navy Ceremonial Guard, the U.S. Air Force Honor Guard and members of the Coast Guard Honor Guard all participated as well, in a joint service tribute to heroes of generations past and present.

"It's an honor to do this for our fallen comrades," said Pvt. Zach Lawson, who wore a water bottle cap on his palm to make the insertion of flags easier, which some Soldiers do. "This is my first year doing this, and they told me what to expect, but it's something to actually be out here."

Several servicemembers even brought their families out to participate in the tradition. Small children could be occasionally seen carrying stacks of flags taller than themselves across a section, before handing it to a servicemember.

Like most Army missions, this one was coordinated by a noncommissioned officer, in this case, Sgt. 1st Class Wayne Plummer, noncommissioned officer in charge for The Old Guard's Regimental Memorial Affairs.

Plummer and his group of Soldiers set up shop near the Tomb of the Unknowns, coordinating with each and every unit, making sure every section was covered. They also coordinated refills of the wooden crates, so that flags could be placed wherever they were running out.

"We coordinated with the staff of Arlington National Cemetery to place the crates, and I gave a brief to Soldiers beforehand," Plummer said. "It's been a smooth transition this year, depending on missions, you never know how many other servicemembers can come out, but they always send as many as they can."

No one who rests at Arlington National Cemetery went unrecognized, as Old Guard Soldiers even placed a flag in front of each row at the Columbarium, where cremated remains are placed.

By the time the 6 o'clock bell rang, servicemembers had been at work for almost three hours, and almost every marker in the cemetery had a small flag a foot from the base. Soldiers used their feet to get an approximate distance.

Soldiers also took time to salute when laying a flag down at a Medal of Honor winner, such as the marker of Spc. Ross A. McGinnis, who was awarded the Medal of Honor for throwing himself on a grenade Dec. 4, 2006. McGinnis is interred in section 60 of ANC, alongside many of his fellow veterans from the Global War on Terror.

Soldiers from The Old Guard will stand watch at all times throughout the cemetery, guarding the flags through the Memorial Day weekend.

President Barack Obama Weekly Address 05/23/09 PODCAST VIDEO TEXT

Remarks of President Barack Obama Weekly Address Saturday, May 23, 2009 Washington, DC PODCAST OF THIS ARTICLE Download MP3 4.31 mb

This Memorial Day weekend, Americans will gather on lawns and porches, fire up the grill, and enjoy the company of family, friends, and neighbors. But this is not only a time for celebration, it is also a time to reflect on what this holiday is all about; to pay tribute to our fallen heroes; and to remember the servicemen and women who cannot be with us this year because they are standing post far from home – in Iraq, Afghanistan, and around the world.

On Friday, I traveled to Annapolis, where I spoke at the Commencement of the United States Naval Academy. It was an honor to address some of America’s newest sailors and Marines as their Commander-in-Chief. Looking out at all of those young men and women, I was reminded of the extraordinary service that they are rendering to our country. And I was reminded, too, of all of the sacrifices that their parents, siblings, and loved ones make each day on their behalf and on our behalf.

Our fighting men and women – and the military families who love them – embody what is best in America. And we have a responsibility to serve all of them as well as they serve all of us.

And yet, all too often in recent years and decades, we, as a nation, have failed to live up to that responsibility. We have failed to give them the support they need or pay them the respect they deserve. That is a betrayal of the sacred trust that America has with all who wear – and all who have worn – the proud uniform of our country.

And that is a sacred trust I am committed to keeping as President of the United States. That is why I will send our servicemen and women into harm’s way only when it is necessary, and ensure that they have the training and equipment they need when they enter the theater of war.

That is why we are building a 21st century Department of Veterans Affairs with the largest single-year funding increase in three decades. It’s a commitment that will help us provide our veterans with the support and benefits they have earned, and expand quality health care to a half million more veterans.

That is why, this week, I signed a bill that will eliminate some of the waste and inefficiency in our defense projects – reform that will better protect our nation, better protect our troops, and save taxpayers tens of billions of dollars.

And that is why we are laying a new foundation for our economy so that when our troops return home and take off the uniform, they can find a good job, provide for their families, and earn a college degree on a Post-9/11 GI Bill that will offer them the same opportunity to live out their dreams that was afforded our greatest generation.

These are some of the ways we can, must, and will honor the service of our troops and the sacrifice of their families. But we must also do our part, not only as a nation, but as individuals for those Americans who are bearing the burden of wars being fought on our behalf. That can mean sending a letter or a care package to our troops overseas. It can mean volunteering at a clinic where a wounded warrior is being treated or bringing supplies to a homeless veterans center. Or it can mean something as simple as saying "thank you" to a veteran you pass on the street.

That is what Memorial Day is all about. It is about doing all we can to repay the debt we owe to those men and women who have answered our nation’s call by fighting under its flag. It is about recognizing that we, as a people, did not get here by accident or good fortune alone. It’s about remembering the hard winter of 1776, when our fragile American experiment seemed doomed to fail; and the early battles of 1861 when a union victory was anything but certain; and the summer of 1944, when the fate of a world rested on a perilous landing unlike any ever attempted.

It’s about remembering each and every one of those moments when our survival as a nation came down not simply to the wisdom of our leaders or the resilience of our people, but to the courage and valor of our fighting men and women. For it is only by remembering these moments that we can truly appreciate a simple lesson of American life – that what makes all we are and all we aspire to be possible are the sacrifices of an unbroken line of Americans that stretches back to our nation’s founding.

That is the meaning of this holiday. That is a truth at the heart of our history. And that is a lesson I hope all Americans will carry with them this Memorial Day weekend and beyond.

Thank you.