Members of the 3rd Infantry Regiment, also known as The Old Guard, place flags on a row in section 12 of Arlington National Cemetery on Thursday, May 23, 2024, to honor service members for Memorial Day. (Matthew Adams/Stars and Stripes)
ARLINGTON, Va. — Members of the Army’s oldest active-infantry unit placed flags at the graves of those buried at Arlington National Cemetery on Thursday morning before Memorial Day weekend.
This tradition, known as “Flags In,” has taken place annually since the 3rd Infantry Regiment, also known as The Old Guard, was designated as the Army’s official ceremonial unit in 1948. The soldiers placed flags in front of more than 260,000 headstones and 7,000 rows in the columbarium. It takes four hours for nearly 1,500 soldiers, including about 100 joint service members, to place the flags, according to the Arlington National Cemetery.
Members of the 3rd Infantry Regiment, also known as The Old Guard, place flags at the graves of those buried at Arlington National Cemetery for “Flags In” on Thursday, May 23, 2024, to honor fallen service members for Memorial Day. The annual event takes four hours for nearly 1,500 soldiers, including about 100 joint service members, according to Arlington National Cemetery. (Matthew Adams/Stars and Stripes)
A soldier from the 3rd Infantry Regiment, also known as The Old Guard, prepares to place flags at gravesites at Arlington National Cemetery on Thursday, May 23, 2024, to honor fallen service members for Memorial Day. (Matthew Adams/Stars and Stripes)
First Lt. Mary Thompson places flags at the graves of those buried at Arlington National Cemetery for “Flags In” on Thursday, May 23, 2024, to honor fallen service members for Memorial Day. (Matthew Adams/Stars and Stripes)
Soldiers from the 3rd Infantry Regiment, also known as The Old Guard, grab more flags on Thursday, May 23, 2024, to place at gravesites to honor service members for Memorial Day. The annual event, “Flags In,” is an annual event that takes four hours for nearly 1,500 soldiers, including about 100 joint service members, according to Arlington National Cemetery. (Matthew Adams/Stars and Stripes)
First Sgt. Brian Junga has been in the Army for 20 years, but this was his first time participating in the event now that he is stationed at Joint Base Fort Myer-Henderson Hall.
He doesn’t know anyone personally buried at Arlington. He has a distant relative who is buried there, and he has friends who have friends buried there. Some of them reached out over the last week asking if Junga would place a flag at their gravesite.
“As I was walking around trying to find this particular grave and looking at the names and just thinking, ‘This could have been me,’ ” Junga said. “It really makes you appreciate how fortunate you are, and it also makes you grieve. Whatever I can do to help right that ship and help preserve their legacy, we can do it.”
A group of soldiers from the 3rd Infantry Regiment, also known as The Old Guard, places flags at gravesites at Arlington National Cemetery on Thursday, May 23, 2024, to honor fallen service members for Memorial Day. (Matthew Adams/Stars and Stripes)
Sgt. Steven Khaytsis places flags in section 12 of Arlington National Cemetery on Thursday, May 23, 2024, for the annual “Flags In” event to honor fallen service members for Memorial Day. (Matthew Adams/Stars and Stripes)
A member of The Old Guard reaches into a soldier’s backpack for more flags to place at graves in Arlington National Cemetery on Thursday, May 23, 2024, to honor the fallen service members for Memorial Day. (Matthew Adams/Stars and Stripes)
Members of the 3rd Infantry Regiment, also known as The Old Guard, place flags at the graves of those buried at Arlington National Cemetery for “Flags In” on Thursday, May 23, 2024, to honor fallen service members for Memorial Day. It is an annual event the regiment has conducted since being designated as the Army’s official ceremonial unit in 1948. (Matthew Adams/Stars and Stripes)
On Sunday, Arlington National Cemetery will host the third Flowers of Remembrance Day at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, according to a news release. The public is invited to place a flower at the tomb from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in honor of the Unknown Soldiers, and all those who served and sacrificed for the United States.
The flags will be picked up Tuesday following the holiday, an Old Guard spokesperson said.
Kahvontey Woodburry places flags at the graves of those buried at Arlington National Cemetery for “Flags In” on Thursday, May 23, 2024, to honor fallen service members for Memorial Day. This group of soldiers started in sections 41, 42 and 43 of the cemetery. (Matthew Adams/Stars and Stripes)
Members of the 3rd Infantry Regiment, also known as The Old Guard, place flags at the graves of those buried at Arlington National Cemetery for “Flags In” on Thursday, May 23, 2024, to honor fallen service members for Memorial Day. The annual event takes four hours for nearly 1,500 soldiers, including about 100 joint service members, according to Arlington National Cemetery. (Matthew Adams/Stars and Stripes)
Spc. Oliver Eriksson, left, and Spc. Norman Rindfliesch place flags at the graves of those buried at Arlington National Cemetery for “Flags In” on Thursday, May 23, 2024, to honor fallen service members for Memorial Day. (Matthew Adams/Stars and Stripes)
Members of the 3rd Infantry Regiment, also known as The Old Guard, place flags at the graves of those buried at Arlington National Cemetery for “Flags In” on Thursday May 23, 2024, to honor fallen service members for Memorial Day. Soldiers for the annual event place flags in front of more than 260,000 headstones and 7,000 rows in the columbarium. (Matthew Adams/Stars and Stripes)
