How to Place Flags on Soldiers' Graves on Memorial Day

Memorial Day is a day to remember and honor those men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country. One way for individuals or families to honor our war dead is to place flags on their graves as a thank you for their service. Whether you are remembering a loved family member, or simply showing respect to an unknown soldier, it is important to follow each cemetery's particular rules regarding flags on soldiers' graves.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Flags

1. Find the location for family member grave sites on which you wish to place flags. Search the Department of Veterans Affairs website under "Burial and Memorials" for the "Nationwide Gravesite Locator" (see Resources below). If you cannot find your family member via the website, mail full details to the address at the bottom of the website. It will take approximately 4 weeks for you to receive a response, so plan in advance.
2. View the list of Veteran Association cemeteries and find one that is close to where you live, if you have no particular veterans in mind.
3. Click on one that you would like to visit and follow the links to its website.
4. Look for any information about grave site decorations. Many sites provide information about the regulations regarding flowers and other grave site decorations. If such information isn't available online, call the cemetery directly for more information.
5. Ask if there is any group ceremonial flag-placing that you can volunteer for or if you can place flags as an individual or family.
6. Ask whether your local cemetery provides flags before purchasing them. Many veterans' cemeteries and other cemeteries provide flags to be placed on soldiers' graves on holidays such as Memorial Day and Veterans Day.
7. Reflect on soldiers' lives and service to their country as you place flags on their grave sites.

Tips & Warnings

• Bring your children to place flags on soldiers' graves during Memorial Day, and encourage them to think about the service that these men and women gave to their country.
• While visiting cemeteries, keep an attitude of reverence. Yelling, playing music and other such behavior not only disrespects the dead, but ruins the experience for other visitors.