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Troops Put ‘Flags In' at Arlington Cemetery
(May 28, 2010) |
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| | WASHINGTON, May 27, 2010 – More than 1,500 servicemembers
from the Army's “Old Guard” and other ceremonial units
gathered at Arlington National Cemetery today for a sacred
ritual marking the start of the Memorial Day weekend
observance. |
With flags in hand, members of the Army's Old
Guard march out to their assigned sections
during the “Flags In” ceremony at Arlington
National Cemetery, Arlington, Va., May 27, 2010.
More than 1,500 servicemembers Old Guard and
other ceremonial units gathered for the sacred
ritual that marks the start of the Memorial Day
weekend observance. DoD photo by Doug Moss |
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The men and women, representing all the services
and the Coast Guard, carried rucksacks full of
small American flags. They performed the
time-honored "Flags In" ceremony of marking the
cemetery's more than 350,000 white headstones
with the stars and stripes.
“This is one of the many distinct honors
entrusted to the Old Guard,” said Army Maj. Rosy
Poulos, 3rd Infantry public affairs officer.
“They're out here until every flag is placed,
whether that's 6:30 or 9:30 [p.m.]”
Army Sgt. Patrick Smith, from the Old Guard's B
Company, has placed flags in the cemetery for
the past three years. Though the work is
repetitive, he said, he considers it an honor. |
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“It's a good way to honor the fallen, the ones who gave so
many years of their lives, or their life itself, to the
service of our country,” he said.
Smith said once he starts to see the headstones, and reads
the inscription as he places each flag, a feeling of respect
and reverence takes over.
“Once you start walking, and you see the headstones, there's
a certain connection, sort of an esprit de corps,” Smith
said. “You see them and you get a feeling for how many have
given their lives. It doesn't matter what rank they held or
what service they were a part of, each are treated as
honorably as the other, they each get a flag.”
Army Staff Sgt. Rob Woodring placed flags for the first time
today. At first he wasn't sure what to expect, beyond the
task itself. But he said it's impossible not to feel a
connection when surrounded by generations of servicemembers.
“These people all gave their lives to the military, and to
our country, whether they're here because they dedicated
their lives to service or gave their lives in service,” he
said.
Flags-in has been performed annually since 1948 when the Old
Guard was named the Army's official ceremonial unit. The Old
Guard includes the guards at the Tomb of the Unknown
Soldier, the Continental Color Guard and all Army funerals
at Arlington National Cemetery. The flags will be removed
early June 1 before the cemetery opens.
Each flag is centered precisely one foot in front of the
headstone. Many soldiers use gloves equipped with wood,
plastic, or metal plates to protect their hands as they
place, on average, more than 230 flags each. Though some
said they'd like a cooler day, none complained about the
task itself.
“We're part of something special,” Army Master Sgt. Kristine
Zielinski said. “We get to honor our comrades.” |
By Ian Graham
Emerging Media, Defense Media Activity
American Forces Press Service
Copyright 2010 |
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