Memorial Day - Arlington National Cemetery

In a time-honored tradition, Soldiers from the 3d U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard) place U.S. flags at every gravesite and niche column in Arlington National Cemetery ahead of the National Memorial Day Observance.

Their mission is simple but important: place flags in front of each one of the hundreds of thousands of headstones and niche columns throughout the cemetery. This annual tradition gives Soldiers of The Old Guard Soldiers an opportunity to connect with the generations who served before them.

The public will have the opportunity to show their appreciation for our nation’s fallen heroes during Flowers of Remembrance Day on Sunday, May 28. For one day ahead of Memorial Day, everyone is invited to lay a flower in front of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. This is a rare opportunity to walk in a sacred space normally reserved for the sentinels of the Old Guard, who keep a 24-hour watch over the Tomb.