Memorial Day flags placed at Arlington National Cemetery graves
Reuters
2014-05-22
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Soldiers place American flags at the gravestone of every service member buried at Arlington National Cemetery ahead of Memorial Day weekend on Thursday.
The annual tradition known as "flags in" dates back to 1948.
It takes about three hours to put all the flags in front of more than 260,000 gravestones, as well as 7,300 niches at the cemetery's columbarium and at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
U.S. Army Private Kyle Kerlin is an Old Guard Member from New Jersey.
(SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. ARMY PRIVATE KYLE KERLIN, OLD GUARD MEMBER FROM NEW JERSEY SAYING:
"This means a lot you know because this is a way we honor our fallen brothers and sisters and this is just a way we can pay our respects to them."
Precision is important. Each flag is centered one foot in front of every grave marker.
The Old Guard soldiers will stay in the cemetery over the weekend to make sure the flags aren't removed.
The flags are taken down after Memorial Day.
The annual tradition known as "flags in" dates back to 1948.
It takes about three hours to put all the flags in front of more than 260,000 gravestones, as well as 7,300 niches at the cemetery's columbarium and at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
U.S. Army Private Kyle Kerlin is an Old Guard Member from New Jersey.
(SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. ARMY PRIVATE KYLE KERLIN, OLD GUARD MEMBER FROM NEW JERSEY SAYING:
"This means a lot you know because this is a way we honor our fallen brothers and sisters and this is just a way we can pay our respects to them."
Precision is important. Each flag is centered one foot in front of every grave marker.
The Old Guard soldiers will stay in the cemetery over the weekend to make sure the flags aren't removed.
The flags are taken down after Memorial Day.
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