Soldiers place flags at graves before Memorial Day

STORY: :: Nearly 1,600 military personnel place flags at headstones of fallen service members

:: Some 260,000 flags will stand through the U.S. Memorial Day holiday

:: Arlington, Virginia

:: May 23, 2024

:: Alexa Gordon, U.S. Army Staff Sergeant

"This is my first time being in an actual cemetery in my entire life. So, it was a lot for me to walk in through the gates just to see like everything and just to see everyone and then to see everybody placing flags into the headstones was it was like a relief of like, okay, we are here for a purpose.

:: Alejandra Villalobos, U.S. Army Soldier

"We take pride to honor the sacrifice and courage of the fallen and this is a very humbling experience. Not everybody gets to do this."

The 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard) handles ceremonial responsibilities at Arlington which is home to war heroes including the Seal Team 6 Commander and founder Richard “Dick” Marcinko, Audie Murphy, and Walter Reed.

Former President John F. Kennedy and Jackie Kennedy Onassis are also buried there.