Flags-In 2018
For more than 60 years, the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard) has honored America's fallen heroes by placing American flags at gravesites for service members buried at both Arlington National Cemetery and the U.S. Soldiers' and Airmen's Home National Cemetery just prior to the Memorial Day weekend. There has also been a Ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier by its Honor Guard.
This is just OUR way of showing respect for the Veterans interred at several local cemeteries. The local tradition started at Meadowlawn Cemetery and this year we are adding about two dozen more cemeteries. Since there are almost 100 cemeteries in Coffee County alone, this is just a start. Each year, more will be added with us starting with an additional 2,000 new flags this year in addition to the approximately 1,200 placed at Meadowlawn. If anyone knows of a veteran buried in the county, please go to CoffeeCountyVeterans.org and let us know who and where so that they may be Honored.
A few years ago, we gave the established local event at Meadowlawn the name "Flags-In"and added the flag replacement with a short ceremony explaining the purpose of the event.
This year, we will have a short ceremony at 10:00 in the American Legion Hall on Lee Street. Flags will be dispersed with instructions on which cemetery to place them in. On Tuesday from 4:00 – 6:00 pm, the Beta Club placed around 200 flags at the Daleville City Cemetery on Hwy. 84, the old Daleville Cemetery, and the Old Newton Road Cemetery. And on Friday, the 25th, we will meet at Evergreen Cemetery (the main one) in Elba to place flags there. The traditional event will still be held at Meadowlawn on Friday at 3:00.
Please come to one or more of these events and if your group would like to “Adopt-a-Cemetery” to place flags and wreaths in, please contact us at 855-677-7602.
