For more than 50 years, soldiers with the U.S. Army 3d U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard) have honored our nation’s fallen military heroes by placing more than 265,000 U.S. flags at the gravesites of service members buried at both Arlington National Cemetery and the U.S. Soldiers’ and Airmen’s Home National Cemetery during Flags-In prior to the Memorial Day weekend. This year, for the first time in 20 years, service members from the U.S. Marine Corps, U.S. Navy, U.S. Air Force, and U.S. Coast Guard placed flags alongside soldiers from The Old Guard across the 639 acres of Arlington National Cemetery.

Soldiers from the U.S. Army 3d U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard), along with service members from all armed forces service branches, place over 265,000 U.S. flags at every gravesite, columbarium court column, and niche wall column as part of Flags-In at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va., May 27, 2021.

Elizabeth Fraser/Arlington National Cemetery/US Army